The Proposal
by LaNaniuska
Summary: Arrogant, overbearing, devious… according to most people, those were the words that better described Regina Mills. She didn't mind, instead she made the words her armor, all until she had to ask help to the only person that could twist her perspective of things. That was when everythimg started to change. OutlawQueen.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note**: This is basically an AU Outlaw Queen story. It will more or less follow Regina's arch just as it was on the TV show but in a modern world (no magic) and without all the killing! I got inspired by the movie The Proposal so if you've watched it you know the basics. Anyway, like always, I do not own anything or anyone in the story. I'm rating it M for language and other adult situations. Other than that, Enjoy!

**The Proposal**

Every time she walked into that building, people would stare at her. It was almost as if she was stepping into a new dimension… a whole new world where she was the only being that moved while everyone was doomed to watch.

She didn't mind though, not the leers or the hushed voices behind her back or let alone the bad vibes sent her way. No, after years of going over with the same routine day in and day out she was already used to it.

It was simply like this; as far as she was concerned it wasn't like people's opinions about her mattered. She was above them all and no matter the adjectives thrown her way when she wasn't listening, cold, detached… bitter, a bitch, the truth of the matter was that each and every single one of those individuals were irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

They were insignificant and she was Regina Mills; they were nothing more than little ants while she was the one in control. She was the one who called the shots in that company and in the little miserable lives they lead they probably resented her for it.

So yes, they could talk their talk and they could say whatever they wanted to say about her, but the fact remained that she was better than everyone there by a mile.

The thought was satisfying enough to almost make her smirk, but she didn't; instead she kept on the stoic mask she would always wear when stepping into the building and kept walking, flipping at her dark black hair and the corner of her lips slightly upturned.

She did all that without even sparing a glance to those around her, not even to respond to the annoying chorus wishing a good morning to her. She just kept going, walking haughty as ever and loving how the sound of her designer's heels echoed all through the lobby.

By the time she made it into her office, sharp as a knife at nine in the morning, her assistant was already there.

"Morning…" He began to say, but before he could go on with his mandatory morning updates she grabbed the cup of coffee he obviously had for her and before taking a seat behind her desk she started talking on top of him.

"I need you to cancel my ten a.m. conference call with the Boards of Directors and reschedule it for later in the afternoon. It would be even better if you can put it off for tomorrow morning, God knows I can't stomach those meetings after having lunch."

"About that, I'm afraid the meeting can't be put off, not completely anyway because Mr. Gold came by first thing in the morning and called for a one on one meeting with you instead of the conference call. He's as we speak waiting for you in…" The man took a moment to scroll through the iPad in his hands. "Conference Room A."

Arching an eyebrow and sending the bearer of such news an icy cold glance, Regina leaned forward and rested her chin over a closed fist. She was not pleased with what she just heard, first because she didn't like those kinds of surprises and second because having to meet with Gold meant her schedule for the day was going to get a little tighter.

"And why it was that you thought it was a good idea to let me come here unaware of that?"

At the question, Robin Locksley opened his eyes wide as he smiled in that way of his that bordered somewhere between being apologetic and simply amused. "I actually sent you both an email and a phone message earlier on. I did it as soon as he put foot on here. Didn't you get them?"

Quirking her lips, Regina decided to ignore the question and most definitely the insolent glint on his eye. She has indeed received the notifications but she never got to open the messages. She has been caught up trying to score a meeting with a huge potential investor from Milan and that took all her attention.

Not like that was a bad thing because her intents were not in vain and she was going to have a conference call with them at eleven. Then if things went smooth like she knew they would, she could be flying to meet them in person as soon as next Monday and then she was sure she could seal the deal in a matter of nothing.

That was how good she was.

Love her or hate her, with the later being the sentiment she was sure most within the company felt, the truth couldn't be denied and that truth was that without her that business would have crumbled a long time ago; and as if that wasn't enough, now she was going to take things to a whole new level.

Letting her lips curve at how successful her morning was already shaping into, the brunette woman took a sip of the coffee Robin got for her. It was a routine, he got her the dark hot liquid that would make her function every single day and she would drink it.

But for some reason, that morning the taste was all wrong and she had to fight hard against the urge of spitting it out.

"What the hell am I drinking?" She asked while making an exaggerated grimace, her tone more petulant than curious.

"Well that actually would be my coffee."

Frowning and tilting her head up at the easiness in which he told her that, Regina squinted her nose.

Robin Locksley, if her memory wasn't failing her, the man has been her executive assistant for sometime close to two years. He hadn't been the first but he has definitely been the most effective.

Yes, he had that annoying smile that he seemed to like flashing around everywhere he went and more often than not he was too cheeky, more than what she would tolerate in any other of her employees; but she liked that he was not afraid of calling things as they were and well, that he didn't seem to coward at her somehow difficult way of being.

Oh he couldn't stand her, of that she was sure, but because she didn't pay him to like her but to work and he was good at what he did, she put up with him.

"And I'm drinking it because?"

"Long story short, I had a little mishap with yours and it kind of spilled. I could bore you to death with all the little details about it but Mr. Gold is waiting so why don't I let him know you are on your way?"

Groaning at the reminder of the improvised meeting , Regina threw the coffee away and swirled on her chair to look for her own iPad, meaning to grab it and head towards the meeting.

"I could have drink that, you know?"

Standing up and heading out of the office, Regina hummed. "Not if I didn't get to drink mine. Anyway, if I don't come out in ten minutes just walk right in and say I have an urgent call. Or I don't know, make up something to get me out of there, I have a conference call with Milan and I need to make some arrangements for that."

"Milan, why do I smell we are going global? I'll get you a folder on that one with a few pointers you don't want to miss. See you in ten."

"Perfect." Regina said and once in front of Conference Room A she pushed the door open and walked in. "Gold, what do I owe the surprise?"

She asked the question with no other form of greeting and the older man just sighed. He was sitting at the head of the table and she went ahead and sat in the chair by his right.

"Dear… I'm afraid I come as the bearer of some dire news."

"And they would be dire for whom?" Frowning and putting the tablet down, Regina pursed her lips. Ever since she inherited the company, Gold has been some kind of a mentor for her; now mind you, she wasn't mistaken and she knew he has taken the role out of convenience, but because the alliance was equally beneficial for her as it was for him, she just played along.

"You, me, the whole company. As you well know, the daughter of your dear late husband is about to turn twenty-five and as the will specified, she's soon to get the rest of her share of stocks."

At the mention of the person she despised more than anyone else in the world… well at least out of those who still lived, Regina rolled her eyes and her manicured nails dug a little too hard into the palm of her hand.

Yes, she was very well aware of the woman's birthday and what did the whole thing imply. It meant that Mary Margaret along with her were going to be equal shareholders and would have the same amount of power over the company.

She didn't like it, but since the younger woman has never taken an interest in the company while she has been the one running things for several years, she just tried to convince herself that things were going to stay the same and that the Board as a whole would always favor her.

"I knew that already."

"Yes… but what you didn't know is that because you are a foreigner and she is not, she'll end up having more weight than you when it comes to the Board and well, the country."

Regina laughed at that, but only because she found it to be completely ridiculous. But when Gold remained watching her impassively, she had to frown. "You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately, I am not."

Blinking a couple of times as she tried to make sense of what Gold told her, Regina scoffed. She knew the country and it's whole immigration policy was changing and things were getting a bit weird, but she had all her papers on point and… and she was an American, it wasn't like she came from outer space. Besides she has been living there for more than a decade and hell, she has even been married a citizen.

Sure, it has not been her choice to marry him and she has gone through one hell of a nightmarish marriage, but that was a tale for another moment; what was important there was the fact that they meant to give all the power to a little brat who didn't know a thing about the business?

"They can't do that. That girl doesn't know anything about running this company. She'll run this straight to the ground just like her incompetent father did and I can't allow that." Not after she was the one who put the company in the spot it was now.

"I know, I know all that. Trust me, I've invested more in this company that you could imagine so I like this as much as you do."

Chewing on her lips, Regina snorted scornfully. "So what do I do?"

"You, my dear, should have become a citizen long ago, what happened there?"

Blowing out a breath, she shrugged. She has been sent to London to marry a man that doubled her age when she was barely eighteen and she has arrived to that strange country terrified and a little broken hearted. She knew nothing of papers or immigration so it never crossed her mind to make the arrangements.

Then when Leopold died she just focused on getting her work visa and residency and that was it, for years she didn't even took the interest to become a citizen because she actually believed it wasn't needed.

And now it was this. There was no way she could even begin making the arrangements in a quick manner. Not unless she married a citizen and that wasn't going to happen anytime soon…

As if in cue, a knock was heard all through the room and the door opened. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Mills, you have a very urgent call."

"We are in the middle of an urgent matter ourselves so tell whoever it is to call later." Gold said and Regina turned to tell Robin to give her five more minutes.

This was something she needed to discuss with Gold because unless a sudden miracle occurred she was screwed… unless… unless…

Clearing her throat, Regina motioned Robin to walk in. A sudden and perhaps absurd idea crossed her mind and she just needed to put it out there and see what would Gold think.

"What if I get married, would that help?"

Tapping a finger to his lips, Gold smiled. He probably caught up with her intention because he looked from her to Robin and then back to her.

"It could be. I mean the paperwork could take some time for government's purposes but if said wedding happened before the girl's birthday I could convince the Board to make it legit, at least when it comes to the company."

"Well there it is, I'll get married."

Smiling in satisfaction, Regina looked at Robin. He was frowning lightly, totally oblivious of her plans.

"Well, does the lucky guy here knows it? Because you, Regina, have more than a few enemies hiding in every corner and if any of them knew of this farce everything will get worse. Meaning that if you two are getting married you need to make it look real."

"What do you exactly mean with you two?" Robin asked and at the smoothness of his accent she smiled once more.

Yes, just by listening to him one could tell that he was as native as they came so the Board was going to have no choice than to accept the union.

"Us. I'll explain later."

"What? No… I mean no way." Robin hurried to reply and Regina rolled her eyes.

He looked half horrified and half confused, long gone were the amused smiles and the shine on his eyes.

Now yes, she was aware that even if he respected her wits for business, her executive assistant didn't really like her as a person but who cared? It wasn't like it was going to be a real marriage anyway but she guessed that was something they would have to discuss later on.

"Regina, dear, I think it's time your future husband and I make a deal so leave this one to me." With that said, the older man got to his feet and using his crane, he walked towards Robin. "So, Locksley… why don't you tell me what is it that you really, really want?"

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

**The Proposal**

"Yes." Hissing the word between clenched teeth while lifting up in the air a closed fist in what could be considered a victory gesture, Regina used the edge of her teeth so that she could lightly bite into the corner of her bottom lip.

She did that quickly after hanging up the phone call she just ended, feeling completely satisfied for what she just accomplished because as it happened, she just put on motion one hell of a deal that could take the company to a whole new level.

The wheels were turning in her favor and she was the one who was making it happen.

At the thought, her lips curved into a smug smile because if things kept going her way she was soon to become a favorite within the Board of Directors and who would care if she was not a citizen?

Sure, crazy at it was, she was still going to follow Gold's plan because it was better being safe than sorry. But who knew? maybe she wouldn't have to go through it for so long.

She did her homework and found out that at least as far as the Country was concerned, she already met most of the standards to become a citizen; meaning that after applying for it she would only need to stay married for one year.

Pushing her head back into the executive chair and crossing her legs as she sat, the woman pursed her lips while thinking about that… one year.

If you came to think about it, that wasn't even that long and if she managed to close the deal with Milan, she was going to be so busy that time was going to fly by in her mind.

As she mused about all that, a knock came on her door and before she could set her features into her usual blank expression, Robin came in.

He basically caught her with the confident smirk on her face and that made him arch an eyebrow. Other that that he did nothing more before closing the door behind his back, but just as his expression has been when he walked out of that same office earlier that day, he didn't looked quite thrilled.

"Did you get them?" Regina asked, not even minding the scorching hot glare he was sending her way and focusing instead on the small bag he had on his hand.

"I did. And just so you know it was one of the most unpleasant things I have ever done for you."

Sighing out loud and getting to her feet, Regina decided not to reply to what he just said. Sure, she knew he was exaggerating considering that she once called him at one in the morning so that he could change a flat tire she got while driving back to her house so she could assure him that buying a ring wasn't even close to being as bad as most of things he has done, but because that was irrelevant to what was happening, she decided not to say a thing about it.

"Let me see it." Once she was standing in front of him, she snatched the bag from his hands and grabbed the small box he just got. Then, after opening it she grabbed the ring and after swirling it around in her hand, she put it in the corresponding finger.

And engagement ring. She had long ago sworn to herself that she was never going to wear a ring in that finger again and there she was again…

"What about the others?"

Venturing to lift her gaze to him, the brunette saw the way he rolled his eyes while searching into the bag a couple more boxes. She took them when he handed them over and after opening them, she saw what were going to be his and hers wedding rings.

They looked good, the white gold was nice but not too flashy and definitely something people knew he could afford. Not that he did, because the purchase has been entirely on her.

"Are you aware than what you are making me do is pretty much illegal? I mean I haven't looked it up yet but it just has to be."

Twisting her lips, Regina blinked slowly and put the wedding rings back into the bag. "Then we better not get caught." With that said, she swirled on her heels and went back to sit on her chair. "Besides we are not making you do anything."

No, she was there while he and Gold negotiated his terms and he was going to benefit from the union as well and what was better, he didn't have to do much if you came to think about it.

Taking a seat in front of her desk and resting his arms over the crystal clear surface, the man scoffed. "Maybe you didn't force me to do it, but you sure twisted my arm into agreeing."

"Well are you going to moan and bitch about it for too long? Because we have work to do. I just ended a call with Milan and the deal is almost done, meaning that you need to start moving and get us those plane tickets as soon as possible."

For a couple of seconds he just stared at her in what she was sure was an 'I want to kill you' glance; she didn't mind, she just arched both eyebrows and tapped her fingers impatiently against her desk.

It was just when he shook his head and made as if to stand up that she remembered one last thing. "While you are at it make the arrangements to make the wedding happen there. Now don't go overboard with it and just make it to be something quick…. You know, Vegas' style. A sign it and go kind of thing. We'll tell people we eloped."

Yes, it was easier that way as she wouldn't have all eyes on her as it would happen if they were to marry in London. It was also a great excuse to flight to Italy without raising suspicions as she didn't want the Milan thing to be known until it was a signed deal.

"Seriously? You want this wedding to happen during the weekend?"

Shrugging as she didn't see what was the big deal, Regina wrinkled her nose. "Are you really going to make me repeat myself?"

What part of Mary Margaret's birthday was just two weeks away and she needed to beat her into it didn't he get?

"This is unbelievable." He said in a snort, his hands going up to run through his hair as he threw his head back. "Anything else?" He asked once he straighten up. "Need a place for your mani and pedi while in there, perhaps I should shop for a dress for you as well?"

Catching up on his bitter sarcasm, Regina felt the need to respond in her usual cutting way. He was out of line and she needed to let him know, but instead she opted for putting the dagger where she knew it would hurt the most.

"That would be lovely. Not the dress though because fake or not I can't marry in rags. But since you are so eager to be useful find a good photographer and for the love of God, get a haircut for the photos. We may not get the proper ceremony but we do need some good pictures. Otherwise people won't believe we did this."

"You know I can still say no to this, right?"

"Will you? Because if you did that would only mean you'll get stuck in this job for whatever time you decide to stay with us. I'll make sure of that, that you won't get forward within the company and that would kind of be tragic. All your time putting up with me for nothing."

At her words, Robin ran his tongue over his lips, his eyes shinning a shade darker than its usual blue. "You're evil."

She shrugged. "That seemed to be the general consensus last time I checked."

Nodding, her assistant crossed his arms against his chest. "I want to manage it. If the deal goes through I want to manage the Milan account."

"No way." Regina replied with an incredulous chuckle. That account was hers. "That wasn't even what you and Gold agreed to."

"My deal is with you, and if you want me to go through with this farce that's what it will take. You can say no and that's okay, I'll walk out and get another job even if that means throwing out the window my time here. I'll lose, but so will you and the way I see it, your will loose more than me."

His insolence took her aback a little bit, but just a little and for a short while, then she appreciated the way he was showing up his claws.

The cynic in her liked that she could finally corroborate that he wasn't after all just smiles and cheeky comments but that he had ambition.

"Okay, you can work it, but the account is mine. If I see you do a good job with it I'll let you run it." It even made sense and in a way it made the whole thing seem to be more legitimate, to give such an important account to her so called husband.

"Sounds fair."

"But Robin, you can't go changing your mind and adding things into this deal whenever you feel like it so we have to make a contract stipulating what is to be expected."

"No problem, I'll work on it." He took out his iPad and smiled at her in that way he had that annoyed her so much. "So what do you want me to put in this pesky contract of yours?"

Pushing the inside of her cheek with her tongue, Regina grabbed a pen and swirled it between her fingers. "Confidentiality. That has to be number one, you can't say a word about this to anyone. Not to your family or your friends, that has to be number one."

She saw him type in silence and then she went on.

"We have to commit into this all the way so we'll do whatever it takes to make people believe the marriage is authentic. That means you'll move into my house as soon as we come back from Milan. It'll be for show, I have enough room so that you can have your space and I'll have mine."

"And why does it has to be your place?"

As if it was the most ridiculous question ever, she snorted. "I live in a real house, you probably live in a questionable flat downtown and no one will believe I moved there willingly."

He let out a chuckle as well but it definitely didn't come out in an amused way. "Nothing of this will be believable, Regina, because I doubt people will actually believe I married you willingly."

"And why is that?"

He squinted his eyes, probably trying to figure out how to answer the question without pissing her off.

"Let's just say that people close to me know that women like you are not exactly my type. I usually like them more… down to earth. You know, the kind that is likely to show human emotion."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh I'm sure you like your small town girls but hey, I usually like them taller and less smart mouthed but you don't hear me complaining, do you?"

Rolling her eyes and putting the pen down, Regina saw Robin drag a hand down his face impatiently.

"Which leaves me to this, for whatever amount of time this marriage last, you can't under any circumstances date someone who works here. Whatever you want to do regarding your… intimate interactions will have to do out of our circle and in the most discrete manner. This may be fake but you can't be going sleeping around carelessly while people believe we are married."

"Seriously? And will this thing go both ways or are you allowed to 'cheat' without any restriction?"

Humming, Regina bit her tongue. She had no plans of hooking up and let alone dating while she was under that contract. First because there was a lot at stake when it came for her and second because she had no desire for it.

She hadn't done it since forever so why do it now when she was at risk of loosing it all?

If she gave Robin the option to do that it was only because she knew the lack of interest on human interaction that she had was something most people didn't share with her and well, he was a man and he probably had needs that she sure as hell not going to satiate.

She had no problem with whatever it was that he needed to do as long as he was extremely discreet about it, because last thing she wanted was from people to be spreading rumors about how she was a poor fool being cheated on.

"Sure, it goes both ways so add it up. You also need to put in there that being married to me doesn't give you the right or the authority to ever touch me. Under any circumstances."

"What if you are choking or drowning, should I just let you die? And if you do and I became a grieving widow, what then?"

Snarling her lips, Regina sent him an icy cold glare. "You know what I mean so don't play dumb."

He just scoffed and began typing. "No touching without consent, got it. I'll put it just to give you peace of mind but this is actually something you don't need to worry about, as I have no intentions of _touching_ you."

"At least something we can both agree on." After saying that she let the words linger for a while before going on. "Add the Milan thing, the cut Gold offered and whatever other nonsense you'd like, that's all from my part."

After a while of going back and forth with what should or shouldn't be on the contract, they were finally done. Robin was insistent into adding how he wanted to keep his own place even if he was to live at hers and that he should also be able to enjoy a night out if he ever felt the need to.

She also couldn't predispose of his time off without him knowing before hand and yes, he agreed that they should go to any public event as husband and wife.

"So this is how it feels like to make a deal with the devil." Robin said once the contract was printed and signed.

Taking the document and putting it into her safe, Regina sighed out loud. "This is a pretty good deal for you so don't get so dramatic."

"Well I'm putting my arse on the line here so excuse me if I don't take this as lightly as you seem to be taking it. These arrange marriages and contracts could be your thing, but they are definitely not mine."

Regina opened her mouth to reply to that, but as if in cue, Robin's phone started to ring and he picked it up without letting her speak.

"Locksley speaking."

Pursing her lips, Regina unlocked her computer screen and rolled her eyes, her intention putting herself to work so that she could leave everything in order before she had to leave.

She wanted Robin to get them in the first flight to Italy first thing the following day and before that she had a lot to do. First it was getting everything she needed to prepare for the meeting and then it was the damn wedding.

Shaking her head in disbelieve at what she was doing, Regina wrinkled her nose. A wedding… arranged or not, marrying again was the last thing in the world she wanted and the only solace she had in the whole thing was that at least she wasn't going to let Mary Margaret keep ruining her life.

Hell, even if she died while married she would be glad that at least everything she owned was not going to end in her stepdaughter's hands.

"Seems like the day keeps getting more and more interesting as it goes by. Mary Margaret is here and she wants to see you."

"Oh you have to be kidding me."

Tilting her head up, she set her eyes on the man sitting opposite to her. Did she heard right? Not that it should surprise her, after all Gold did say he was going to tell on the big news that she was engaged so that the young woman was there was no coincidence.

It did take her a little by surprise because she never expected her to come so soon but there she was, probably with her fake smile and double intentions sprouting out of her in huge waves.

"I'm definitely not kidding you."

Running a hand through her hair, chocolate eyed woman blew out a breath and threw her head back as a revelation registered in her brain.

"She's onto us. She knows I know about how I need to be naturalized in order to keep the same amount of control over the company as she will get and she wants to let me know she's onto me. The little…. Ugh I can't with her, I swear. She's your typical snake in the grass so don't let her deceive you with her sweet smile and her sad puppy eyes."

Sucking his lips into his mouth, Robin's eyes widened a bit. She has never let him know how much she despised the woman so this came probably as a surprise to him.

"So… do I tell her you can't see her?"

"Of course not, let her bring it. If she wants to play then I'm game for it."

"Alright." With that said, her fake fiancée got up to bring the woman in. "You may want to tone down the murderous glint in your eyes as that tends to be a tad off-putting."

By the time he came back with Mary Margaret, Regina has managed to at least force out a smile.

"Well hello, Gina, it's been a while."

Wrinkling her nose and wishing nothing more than to knock that stupid nickname out of the woman's mouth, Regina got to her feet and met her stepdaughter as she was making her way to her desk.

"It's been a while indeed." The greeting was followed by Mary Margaret leaning forward to kiss her check and as she did that, she couldn't help but to notice Robin standing by the door, his face showing that he was amused by the whole exchange.

"Look at this, you cut your hair. I love it, you look amazing, doesn't she?" The younger woman turned to Robin while daring to lift a hand to touch Regina's hair as it fell down right over her shoulders. "Gosh I still remember they day she first walked into my father's house. I was a kid but I was in awe with how pretty she was. I just loved it when she let me sit down and braid her hair… those were the good times."

Regina had to bit hard into her tongue not to snap and as she blinked a few times she wondered what to say without coming off as completely hostile.

Yes, she didn't like Mary Margaret and she was almost sure the dislike was mutual, but they had never been openly confrontational with each other and she didn't want to start in such a crucial time."

"Do you want something to drink." Robin cut in and she was grateful, as the distraction would give her time to act more composed.

"No, I'm good. I was just passing by when I heard the news and I just had to make sure I was not being lied to." Dropping her hand towards the other woman's, Mary Margaret reached for it and then lifted it. "Wow. So you _are_ getting married. Why didn't you let me know?"

Letting her lips curve into a fake apologetic smile, Regina sighed. "I didn't want to make things uncomfortable for you. You know, considering… things."

"Nonsense. We are family and I'm happy if you are, regarding what happened and how."

Clearing her throat, Regina patted Mary Margaret's hand and then slowly slid away from her grip. What happened when she has been married to Leopold was something she would rather forget and if it was for her, she would never speak to this woman ever again.

But unfortunately things were never as simple as that when it came to her life.

"So when is the wedding?"

Running her tongue against the edge of her teeth, Regina leaned forward and flashed a smile. This was when she started with the farce so she better do it good. "Between you and me? We'll elope and marry in Italy this weekend."

Gasping, the young woman looked from Regina to Robin. "What, so soon?"

Regina snorted, "It seems a little rushed but if there's something I've learned is that life is too short to wait for the right moment. So when Robin proposed, which was last week by the way we just decided to give it a go. Right, honey?"

"Couldn't have said it better, babe."

Swallowing on dry at the way he just called her, Regina blinked her eyes a couple of times as she looked at him. He had the same amused look on his face as he had a while ago and she had to breathe in deeply not to tell him off.

"I think that's so romantic. You know what? Let me give you a wedding gift. I know an amazing place in Italy that will be perfect for a honeymoon so let me book it for you."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that." Regina hurried to say.

"Yes I do. I want to, as an act of good faith. I know it all feels like a lifetime ago but we used to get along so well and look at us now, we barely speak or see each other. You are the only family I have left."

Not wanting to be fooled but trying to keep appearances, Regina smiled. "You are right. I'm sure we'll love this place you say."

"You will. Then when you come back maybe we could all go out and have dinner. I want you to meet someone."

Sure, because that was exactly what she wanted. Dinner with Robin and Mary Margaret plus one. "That would be great."

Smiling, the woman she directly blamed for making her turn into the resentful person she ended up being hugged her and she had to fake being comfortable with it. She even went ahead at hugged Robin.

When she finally left her mood has gone from sour to acrid.

"Babe? Seriously?" Groaning, she turned her back on him and went to her desk. "Don't call me like that again."

Ignoring her, Robin snorted. "Mary Margaret used to braid your hair?"

"Let's focus on what's important here, okay? Can you believe what she just did?"

"Well if you ask me, I'll have to say that she doesn't look as bad as you said; she's sweet."

"So is antifreeze if you are fool enough to digest it. I told you not to let her fool you, she didn't offer the honeymoon as an act of good faith, what she wants is to keep her eyes on me, see if she can prove we are doing this marriage for ulterior motives."

Yes, she couldn't deny it has been a clever move and now because of it she had to make sure she went to this honeymoon and convince whoever may be looking that she married for love and not out of convenience.

It was going to be tricky and a pain, but like she put on the contract, whatever it takes to make the marriage believable, whatever it takes…

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: Quick reminder that this story is just for fun. It's supposed to be more laid back than the other ones and the whole purpose is to get these two together. With that said, I have to say that I know nothing about Italy let alone Italian (My main language is Spanish) so excuse me if I make a mistake. Other than that, enjoy!

**The Proposal**

…_Because you are no longer two, but one…_

Twisting her lips into a grimace of disgust, the raven haired woman known as Regina Mills rolled her eyes once she finished reading the last sentence of the ridiculously long text message Mary Margaret just sent her.

As she did that, she scoffed, her mind going around the question that always bounced inside her skull without ever getting an answer.

What the hell was wrong with that girl?

Sure, she was using the term loosely because Mary Margaret was only six years younger than her, but the truth was that there was no other way she could think about her stepdaughter without using that word.

She will probably always see her that way and not because they met when the younger woman was only a child, but because even now that she was a so called adult she kept with her infantile ways and ignorant behavior.

Did she really thought that after their known history, sending a damn long cheesy manuscript of how happy she was for her new marriage was a normal thing to do?

She was her father's widow for crying out loud… and that was without touching the subject of the bizarre marriage she had with said man.

But leaving that last topic untouched, things were like this: real wedding or not, it was both awkward and annoying to have the girl faking such enthusiasm about the new phase of her life… oh because that she was faking it there was no doubt.

She was not fooling her, so as far as she was concerned, Mary Margaret could take her rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers and just disappear from her life once and for all.

"Regina, would put the phone down if it was only for a minute so that we can get over with this already?"

Taken abruptly out of her thoughts, Regina did a double take as her eyes widened, her gaze lifting up so thay she could look at Robin.

"What, are you my father now, scolding me as if I was a child?" She asked in annoyance, wondering if the man forgot that she was still his boss.

Yes, they basically just married and for the world he was her husband, but between the two of them, they knew he had no right over her. Their marriage was a business, one were she was the one in control so he better keep his tone down.

Smiling as if the words she just said were funny, Robin took a few steps towards her. He only stopped when he was close enough to talk to her without anyone listening.

"Regina, love… the nice photographer here would like to continue with the photos you were so adamant on taking so would you please put the phone aside so we can keep with this nonsense?"

Noticing how his voice dripped with fake sweetness, the brown eyed woman lifted a hand and patted his cheek. To anyone watching, the gesture could be seen as a loving caress, but the truth was that she did it too roughly to be considered as such. "Aren't you just a peach?"

With that said, she set her face once again into her version of the happiest newlywed woman on earth and wrinkled her nose, the corner of her lips twitching as she struggled to keep the smile on display.

"What does he wants us to do now?" She asked, because for the past hour or so they have been taking a series of pictures that would definitely get anyone who cared to watch into a lovesick frenzy.

Not that she could blame them, the scenery was after all breathtaking… with the ocean in the background and an endless blue sky over them it looked as if it was all taken out of a magazine. Then there was her and Robin and they definitely looked the part, dressed as the ultimate married couple.

She was even wearing a freaking wedding dress that even though wasn't over the top, would make any wannabe bride jealous. Hell, she wasn't even a wedding enthusiast and she couldn't get over how good she ended up looking, and Robin… well she had to admit that he cleaned up nice too.

They were definitely going to be great photos. A wedding in Rome, if people didn't think that was romantic then she didn't know what would be.

"I have no idea what he wants now, I can't understand a word he says."

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Regina refrained herself from asking him once again why on earth did he hire a photographer who couldn't speak English. If it wasn't for the language barrier they would have been done with the pictures long ago.

But no, because the man needed to guide them all the way through by showing them instead of telling them what to do, the session has taken longer than what it was supposed to take.

"Vieni qui." Saying that, the photographer gestured for them to go to him.

They did, walking as he kept motioning them to move forward. When they were finally in the spot he wanted them to be in he made them stand in front of each other; he even grabbed Robin's hands, one of them he placed it over her hip and the other one to her cheek.

"What is he doing?" She hissed when he made them stand even closer, so close that she was completely pressed against him.

Yes, they were taking wedding pictures so maybe a little touching was mandatory, but because all the previous photos didn't require that amount of contact or closeness she has kind of hoped to end without having to do what they were doing now.

But there they were with this one…

"Ask him what he's doing?" She asked again, feeling a bit awkward with the pose.

Before Robin could say anything about what Regina just asked, the other man grabbed her hands and put them to his sides. Then, he said something none of them could understand, but by how he was pointing at their eyes she was going to assume he wanted them to look at each other.

"Seriously, can we get more corny than this?"

Fighting hard against the urge of rolling her eyes, Regina swallowed on dry and did as she was instructed. To do so she had to tilt her chin a bit up because even when she was wearing heels, Robin was still slightly taller than her.

"Next time please remind me how bad your ideas are…" The words came out in a raspy whisper, making her strain her ear to hear him. "You know, like before I let you drag me into another mess."

Trying to keep appearances, Regina forced out a smile. His stare was imprudently fixed on hers, the blue irises of his eyes inexplicably pulling her into their depths. She has never noticed he had such pretty eyes, or that when he talked so low his voice came out with so many different undertones and that was weird, because she worked with him on a daily basis and this was the first time she was experiencing those things.

Not that she had any way of knowing, after all even when their jobs required them to interact on daily basis, this was the closest she has ever physically been when it came to him.

And yes, it was making her feel quite uncomfortable.

It was the way it was with her, she didn't exactly liked when people invaded her personal space and that was exactly what he was doing.

His hand was still in her face, a thumb on her cheek while the rest of his fingers rested on her neck and the hand he had on her hip felt as if it was burning through her dress. Hell, she could even feel his breath on her face and the scent of his cologne swirling around her nose so yes, it was too damn much.

"The only bad idea here was hiring that photographer; couldn't you at least find one who could communicate with us?"

"Not at last minute. It was a miracle this one was able to reply in such short notice."

Humming instead of replying because he was probably right, Regina blinked her eyes a couple of times while focusing her eyesight behind Robin's ear. It was better than looking at him in the eye and while listening to the click of the camera over and over again she wondered how long until they could finish and go.

"Un bacio."

Frowning a little because she had a pretty good idea of what the photographer was saying now, Regina pushed the inside of her teeth with the tip of her tongue and moved her head towards him.

"Can we wrap this up? We have things to do and places to go and the clock keeps ticking."

"Un bacio e abbiamo finito."

Rolling her eyes, Regina looked back at Robin. "Tell him we are done."

"I don't know any Italian. You tell him."

"Baciala!" The man almost yelled after making some nasty kissing sounds and she had to grunt in discomfort.

Yes, she knew she said whatever it takes to make the marriage believable but apparently that just didn't age well.

It was just that she has hoped that she could at least have a free pass until they made it back to London… or at least until the honeymoon Mary Margaret set for her because she was sure the girl was going to have her little spies roaming around and she would have to start play pretending earlier than anticipated.

"This bloke is intense. I think he wants us to kiss."

"I know." She said through clenched teeth, feeling fully annoyed. Especially, since Robin seemed to find the whole thing amusing.

She knew because of the tone of his voice and by the glint on his eyes as he chewed on his lips.

"Dai, un bacio. Muah."

Thinking about how she could lose control of the company to Mary Margaret if she didn't do this right, Regina sucked in a breath and gathered the force of will that characterized her.

A little kiss was not going to kill anyone, while failing into making people believe her union with Robin was legitimate could cost her dearly. The result to that equation was simple.

"Okay, do it… just make it quick."

Robin snorted, for a moment making her think he was going to say no to the request; but then he used the hand he still had on her face to guide her mouth closer to his. "You sure are a charmer, I haven't been bossed around into kissing someone since I was a lad." He said, his lips an inch away from hers.

Her own lips parted a little and she puffed out a breath. "Trust me, there are at least a million things I would rather do than kissing you Locksley, but standing here wasting my time while listening this buffoon is not one of them so let's just get over with this."

"Alright, but doesn't this whole thing goes against the contract? You did say no touching."

Her eyes went to his and she blinked slowly. She knew he was trying to rile her up and she was not going to let him get into her head. "I also said whatever it takes."

His eyes lowered to her mouth and she almost snarled her lips; but she didn't, she just lowered her eyes as well in anticipation. "Yeah, you did."

With that said, Robin closed the distance that separated them and touched his mouth to hers. The contact was nothing but a slight caress at first, but then he went a bit further and caught her bottom lip between his own lips. He did that without pushing it too far, just lingering for a few seconds before breaking away.

"Bello."

Taking a step back and drawing in a deep breath, Regina cleared her throat and turned from him. She didn't want to keep dragging the uncomfortable moment any longer and more important, she didn't want Robin to see that little as it was the kiss kind of shook her a little.

It was weird, what she felt with the contact was definitely not part of her plan so she did what she always did when something disconcerted her, ignore it.

"Tell him we are done, that we'll buy all the pictures and then decide for the ones we need. Use google translate or whatever, but make it quick because we need to get going."

With that said, the newlywed woman went away, making her way towards the limo that was going to take them to the airport. Now that the photos were done they needed to get into the helicopter that would take them towards the hotel Mary Margaret booked for them.

It was a huge inconvenience, from Rome they had to go to Capri for the fake honeymoon and then by Monday they had to somehow make their way to Milan for the business meeting.

The traveling from one place to another was definitely going to make their schedule a little tighter but at least she had the entire honeymoon to prepare for the meeting.

Once in the limo, she sighed out loud, reaching for her iPad she has left on the seat so that she could start working on the presentation.

By the time Robin got in her mind was fully into business mode and she paid him no attention whatsoever. It was only when they were half through that he cleared his throat to speak.

"If you really want to make this… thing right, you can't do what you did back there again."

Wrinkling her nose, she lifted her chin up and looked at him. He was sitting opposite to her, but even through the distance she could feel the intensity of his stare as if he was a hell closer.

"What do you mean, what is it that I did?" Because she did her part as far as she was concerned.

She put up with a ridiculously long wedding photo session where she smiled, held his hand and she even let him kiss her.

Robin scoffed, running the tip of his tongue over his lips. "Alright so I know this whole human interaction thing is new to you so I'll guide you through it. You see, there are certain things normal people do and there are the things they don't do. Walking away all pissed off because you had to kiss your supposedly loved husband is one of the things you don't do."

Making a grimace, she snorted. "I didn't walk away all pissed off."

"You did, you also almost threw a hissy fit… and trust me, it's not like I care when it's just us, but when there's other people around please try to you know, be less pissy."

Her lips twisted as she eyed him in contempt. "So you did turn into my father."

After saying that she lifted the iPad to her face and continued working. When they made it to the airport, she tried to relax her features and then during the entire helicopter ride she focused into watching the view.

It was so spectacular to get to see the beauty of the city from above that her smile even came a little easy when Robin snapped a picture of her. It was something they had agreed on earlier that day, Robin was the designated photographer for the duration of the trip because photos were something people would expect.

He was also the one who was going to post them on social media because she didn't have the patience nor the time to deal with such trivial matters.

When they finally landed and made it all the way to the hotel, she knew it was show time, but when she felt him grab her hand she almost jumped startled.

"Remember what we talked about? This is one of the things people do. So please smile and act like you are actually happy instead of looking like someone pissed on your cheerios this morning."

Feeling his fingers entwine with hers and having no other choice but to let him, Regina took in a deep breath and forced out a smile. "Here, are you happy?"

He shrugged, apparently not impressed. "It would do, I guess. Now just relax and enjoy the ride. We are married like you wanted, now we just need to convince these people we are actually happy about it."

Biting on her lips, Regina looked at him. Yes, now it was when the hard part started…

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

"Well this is really nice. Mary Margaret definitely went out of her way with this one; didn't she, babe?"

Halting on her tracks and feeling how the corner of her upper lip curled in annoyance, Regina's eyes immediately landed on the form of her assistant turned fake husband and sent him an icy cold glance.

Sure, she wanted to tell him a thing or two instead of just sending him a look to kill, especially after he mockingly called her babe again; but instead of voicing how much she disliked being called like that she decided to bite her tongue and keep her silence.

It was better that way because the bellboy that has taken the task of transporting their luggage from the lobby of the hotel to their room was still in there and truth be told she didn't want to risk it.

What if he was one of her stepdaughter's little spies? What if she replied to Robin's imprudent pet name with one of her snarky comments and he went running to Mary Margaret to tell her how the newlyweds were everything in the book but a loving couple?

That would be extremely counterproductive for her cause so no, the best she could do was say nothing, pretend she didn't even hear him and just take a look around.

Now, as Robin pointed out, it was a nice room but she wouldn't go out of her way and say that she was impressed. Yes, the view was really astounding as it overlooked the coastline, but the room per se was pretty average.

It was also inconveniently equipped with only one bed and just because of that she couldn't be completely pleased. The math for their accommodations just didn't add up in her mind but there was not much to do about it, as it would raise suspicions if she went to the front desk and demanded another bed.

But that was something they would figure out along the way, for now she noticed that at least there was a desk she could use to work and that at least was a plus.

"And look at this, champagne."

Lifting her head up and sending him a sideway glance as she walked past him and out to the balcony, Regina exhaled. It was only when the bellboy went away and it was just her and Robin that she decided to speak.

"The room is a little small. It doesn't even have a sofa so I hope you enjoy sleeping in the floor."

"Are you serious? That bed is huge, I'm pretty sure we can both fit in there without even having to make contact."

Swirling on her heels a bit dramatically so that she could take a look at him, Regina eyed him critically. "It would first have to snow in hell before I even consider sharing a bed with you."

At her words, Robin arched an eyebrow. He has already taken off his suit jacket and was by then lifting the sleeves of his dress shirt all the way to his elbows. It was only then that she noticed the man had a black inked tattoo on his forearm.

It was something she has never noticed before but since their relationship was essentially a work related one it wasn't like she should have seen it. He worked after all always with long sleeves.

"You are really making this harder than what it really has to be. I didn't ask to come here, I was dragged along because of your bizarre family drama so the last thing you should do is making me be the one who has to sacrifice."

Clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, Regina sat in one of the chairs in the balcony so that she could take her shoes off. "Well, Robin… considering what you are gaining with this deal, sleeping in the floor for a couple of days shouldn't even come as a sacrifice."

It would be just until Monday anyway, because that was the day they were going to leave to work on the Milan deal. Then when they went back home he could have his own bed and his space and they wouldn't even have to interact with each other that much if it wasn't for work.

"And considering what you could loose if it wasn't because I'm cooperating, being a little less conceited shouldn't be such a big deal either."

Rolling her eyes, she showed him her teeth and not necessarily with a smile. She was not going to share the bed and that was final, so with that in mind and not even bothering to reply to what he just said, Regina got to her feet and headed straight towards one of her suitcases.

She wanted to change, as she didn't think it was necessary to keep wearing the wedding dress anymore. She needed to be comfortable, because she was planning on spending the rest of the day working and doing it in high heels and intricate clothing would just make her feel crabby.

"Order something to eat, I have a lot of work to do and I can't do it on an empty stomach."

Mimicking the sound she made earlier on by clicking his tongue as well, Robin shook his head no. "I signed up for fake husband, not to be your personal slave."

"It's not slavery if I pay you for it." She said absentmindedly, grabbing for a change of clothes out of her luggage. "And trust me, I pay you more than enough so stop complaining."

"Maybe you're right, but… today's Saturday and I don't work weekends. I mean it's in the contract that you can't monopolize my time on my days off so sorry." With that said, Robin walked right past her to got into the bathroom and before she could say a word about how she was going to use the facilities he closed the door on her face.

Gasping in disbelief, Regina fought against the urge of kicking the door. It took a lot of effort from her part to control the impulse and after repeating the mental mantra that she needed to be in good terms with Robin if she meant to go through with everything she had planned , she took in a deep breath and then blew it out before walking away.

By the time he got out, she was sitting by the desk, furiously typing on her iPad. He didn't say anything to her and she didn't even look at him, but by the scent that was suddenly impregnating the air, he was obviously fresh out of a shower.

"I ordered food, but just so you know I'll also be looking for a new assistant first thing when we get back home."

"Good luck with that one, because slavery was abolished in England more than two centuries ago so I doubt you'll find what you're looking for."

Snarling her lips, Regina scoffed. "Raise crows and they'll gouge your eyes out. Tsk." Hissing the words, she got to her feet before heading into the bathroom as well to also take a shower.

She needed to lower down her revolutions and even though still a bit mad about Robin making things more difficult for her, she at least managed to ease the discomfort that being in the wedding dress was provoking on her.

When she was done and finally walked out of the bathroom, freshen up, her face clean of any makeup and her hair recently washed, the first thing Regina noticed was that Robin has taken the opportunity of her absence to grab her iPad and was now working from it.

"What do you think you're doing?"

As soon as she said the words, Robin looked up; he did it while opening his mouth as if to say something, but as soon as his eyes went to her he frowned and clasped his mouth shut.

Caught off guard by how his eyes quickly roamed through her frame, the black haired woman dropped her hand from where it was been running through her damp hair and placed it over her hip. "What?"

She has changed into a pink v-neck strappy top and black skinny jeans so it wasn't like she was underdressed, but somehow she now felt like it.

There was after all a huge difference from the more high maintenance look and perhaps a bit more sophisticated way she used to work, so she guessed that was why he was looking at her so funny.

Settling his blue orbs into the chocolate warm of her eyes, Robin just shrugged. "You look like a whole new person. You even look shorter."

Not wanting to add anything else to the subject, Regina rolled her eyes and walking to him, she snatched the tablet from his hands to take a look at what he was doing.

Apparently he has been working on the presentation for the Milan deal and as she quickly scanned what he did, she hummed in appreciation.

Who would have though, but what he added up was actually not that bad so she took a seat next to him and got into full working mode.

For the next few hours, they worked, eating their meal while brainstorming; and it wasn't until the afternoon turned into an early evening that a knock came to their door, interrupting them and taking them out of their little world.

Without having to be told, Robin went to answer the knock and when he came back he did it by flashing her one of his infamous dimple smiles. He was also showing her what appeared to be an invitation.

"It looks like Mary Margaret set us up for dinner into one of the most exclusives restaurants around here."

Groaning at the thought of the girl manipulating her around with her little set ups, Regina rested her forehead into her open palms and closed her eyes. "I swear she only does this to piss me off."

"I don't know, this place and the restaurant, it's a lot of money spent just to piss you off."

Regina snorted, looking at him through half closed eyes. "And where do you think she get's all this money?" She snapped, pointing at her to indicate where did Mary Margaret's bank account came from. "Yes, you guessed it right, all the money she gets to travel around and to buy her little cute pinky stuff comes out of the company I run."

Not impressed, Robin ran a hand down his jaw. "It was her father's company so of course she's going to get her share."

Her lips snarled. "If I would have let things as her daddy left them she would be living in the streets right now. Besides-" She started to say before turning around so that her back was to him. "My father was also cofounder of the company, so I have double the rights over her."

"Really? I didn't know about that. I thought this was all Leopold's and that you inherited as his widow."

Regina shrugged, her face contorting into a grimace of disgust at the mention of the man's name. "Of course you didn't know, because… _Leopold_ erased my father's trace from the company. Can't blame him over that one, my father is a good man, the best you'll ever meet but he doesn't have a good head for business and well, he listens to everything my mother ever tells him and that makes him nothing but a fool."

And fools and weak men rarely ever made history.

"You know… what you just said is actually the kind of thing that can drag us down in this charade. How will we play husband and wife if we don't really know about each other's lives. I mean yes, I know how you like your coffee and all the other basics, but the rest is just a blank page."

Sighing out loud because her personal life was a subject she didn't like touching and she already talked too much, Regina turned off the tablet and got to her feet.

"You don't need to know more than what you already know. It's not like we are going to get into a trivia game to prove how deeply in love we are supposed to be so relax."

Blinking a couple of times as he bit into the corner of his lips, Robin scanned her face. "Why are you like this? I mean what can possibly make someone be so cold and detached?"

Widening her eyes in surprise to such a question, Regina shrugged. "I was born like this. I mean isn't that what you people say, that I was born and bred in the pits of hell."

Because yes, she has heard the kind of things people said about her. That she was a cold bitch and Satan's own mistress were just among the many other adjectives stamped on her.

"I've never said such a thing. I mean there's a huge difference between coming straight from hell and being cold. You are only the second one and people are not born that way."

Shifting the entire weight of her body to her left foot, Regina tilted her head up. "I'm going to change for this dinner thing. It'll be good to show our face just for a little while, you know, just in case. You just… put something nice."

With that said, she put an end to the subject and went to prepare herself.

Much later, already seated at the restaurant and watching as a waitress poured a second glass of wine for her, Robin surprised her once again with another one of his questions.

"Is this how you usually dine in a table for two, in silence?"

Arching both her eyebrows as one of her hands reached for the glass of wine, Regina eyed him over. He was staring right back at her expectantly, the soft light of the outdoor lamps making his eyes shine brighter.

She could tell him right there that she rarely did dinner for two but that was something he probably knew; after all the man ran her schedule and well, she has never been known for being socially active.

She wasn't good at small talk either as he apparently was because Gosh, did he ever shut up? This was the longest he has gone without at least throwing a comment here and there and she was already missing the quiet.

"Silence is a gift that should only be broken if it's going to be improved. Are you going to improve it with more than idle talk?"

Showing her half a smile, Robin took a sip of his wine as well. "Anything will improve this, trust me. But it's alright, I get you don't do conversation like the rest of us humans so let's just talk strategy. What's your plan for the rest of this _honeymoon_? Are we going to spend it indoors and out of sight or are we going out to play pretend?"

Twisting her lips because she didn't know what was the plan yet, the brown eyed woman shrugged. The presentation was pretty much done and that gave them a full day with nothing to do but did she really want to spend it in the room with Robin?

Sure, it was safe to stay confined because nobody would find it strange that two newlyweds would spend the first few days as a married couple locked in… but could she stand that?

"We can go out a while, I guess."

"And after that, when we get back home, do you really think we can fool people into believing this if we can't even keep a conversation going like two civilized beings or if we don't know each other that well?"

"Oh God, here we go again." She motioned the waitress for more wine because she felt like she needed it, when it was served Robin went on.

"You can roll your eyes all you want and quirk your lips as much as you feel like you need to, but you know I'm right. I have people that are very close to me, family that will never believe I married without telling them, and when they met you they will believe it even less."

Doing a double take, Regina chuckled. "Meet me, and why would they have to meet me?"

Leaning back against his chair before lifting his hands up in the air to then drop them to his lap, Robin sucked his lips into his mouth. "I don't know. Because not everybody evades their family at all cost? I mean there are some of us who still keep contact with our own family. I know, shocking, right? And unfortunately for you I am one of them."

Squinting her eyes, she bit her tongue to keep herself from asking why the hell didn't he mention that before.

Fooling Mary Margaret and people at work was one thing, but his family? "How often do you see them?"

"I'll see them Friday. And actually, I usually stay the whole weekend because they are not located in London but a bit farther away."

"Okay. Well, you go and do that. I'm definitely not going to whatever hole you came out from."

He snorted. "Trust me, nothing will make me happier than not bringing you alone and evading having to lie to them all at once, but is that the image you want us to portray, newlyweds that spend the first week of their marriage apart?"

Rolling her eyes because he was right, Regina blew out a breath before going ahead and drinking the last of her wine, but then, before she could reply her eye caught a familiar face sitting at the other side of the restaurant and instead of gracefully placing the glass over the table as she has meant to, she slammed it.

The harsh movement made Robin's own wine spill a little and he definitely startled.

"Son of a…" Leaving the sentence there and moving her eyes to Robin, she opened her mouth as if in surprise. "Oh I'm going to kill her, I swear I will."

"Hey, take a chill pill here, what's going on?"

Clenching her jaw and closing her eyes so that she could gather some self-control, Regina drew in a deep breath.

She was having one of those moments when her ire would just flash brightly behind her eyes and menaced to burst in imaginable ways and she knew she needed to take a moment for it to pass before going ahead to do something stupid.

"Regina…"

Inhaling, she opened her eyes and focused on him. He looked puzzled as his eyes danced along her face, but looking at him was better than having another glimpse of the other man.

"She sent the damn dwarf."

"What?"

"Mary Margaret send the damn dwarf to spy on me. The little bitch didn't even try to be subtle. I'm going to tell him off, you'll see."

Getting to her feet even though she knew doing that was a mistake, Regina bit on the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw a bit of blood; but before she could take a step in the direction of the man she felt Robin grabbing her hand and pulling her to their left.

"Great idea, let's dance."

Looking at him as if he has grown two heads, Regina tried to pull away. "What, I don't want to dance." Hell, she didn't even danced.

"You don't want to make a scene either, I think. Come on."

Blinking a couple of times in confusion as Robin lead them far from the man that once served as Leopold's chauffer, Regina tensed, especially when Robin chose a spot among the other couples dancing and faced her in full dancing position, a hand on her back and his whole body too damn close.

"Now tell me, what's going on?" He grabbed one of her hands to lift it up and she had no choice than to place the other one on his shoulder.

"I told you she was doing this because she wanted to spy on me, and she sent Grumpy… or whatever his name is." Only that she knew the name, it was Leroy and he along with Mary Margaret were part of the reason why her life was so miserable.

"Did he see you watching him?" Robin asked, making her sway with the slow song that was playing.

She followed along, trying very hard not to pull away from Robin and go straight towards Leroy. She just couldn't believe the nerve of them.

"He didn't see me."

"Well, then don't ruin this perfect opportunity to play them along. They want to prove you are faking this marriage? I say you shouldn't give them the satisfaction of showing the world they were right."

Thinking that he was not wrong, she tried to loosen up a little. It was hard because she was so mad, but she managed and when the song ended and the other started, she was somehow feeling more in control.

"You know this song?" Robin asked and her face lifted to his. "The woman I grew up with put this on an old record player she had every single Saturday morning and made us start our chores listening to it. We hated it because it was so bloody slow. Frankie Valli, of all great the records there were in the house she always started with him and this specific song."

"It's a classic." She said for lack of anything else to say. She has listened to the song before, but she didn't think she has ever stopped to listen to the lyrics as she was doing now.

'_Pardon the way that I stare__  
__There's nothing else to compare__  
__The sight of you leaves me weak__  
__There are no words left to speak__  
__But if you feel like I feel__  
__Please let me know that is real__  
__You're just too good to be true__  
__I can't take my eyes off you.'_

"We later found out she liked it so much because it was the first song she ever danced with her late husband so we started to make these silly dances around the house just to make her feel better."

Watching how he smiled in a way that showed his dimples, Regina hummed. "Was this woman your mother?"

Lowering his eyes to hers, Robin shook his head no. "I grew up in a house with a bunch of other lousy lads, all under the care of the woman I'm talking about. That's my family right there."

"Oh okay." She said, almost cringing at how she called the place he grew up in as a hole earlier on.

"There, I told you a thing you didn't know about me. Your turn."

"Yeah right, I would need more of that wine before engaging into that kind of dynamics with you while Grumpy spies on us." Her tone came out more laid back than how she has meant to and he chuckled, his hand sliding lower on her back.

"You know I'm taking mental notes on this, right? More wine and no Grumpy."

"Well you can try, but it still won't happen."

For a few seconds he said nothing, as if he was considering what to say with extreme care. "You know what? I was wrong about you, you are not simply cold, you are actually ice and fire. At times you act as the Ice Queen herself and then other times you are a spitfire and that combination is going to somehow get you in trouble one of these days."

Biting the edge of her lips, she arched an eyebrow. "And what makes you think it hasn't already?"

Robin hummed, the smile forming on his lips more curious than amused. Add that to how they were dancing so close, how his eyes delved deep into hers and she was suddenly at a loss.

That's why she cleared her throat and lowered her gaze.

"We should get back."

"Yeah." Robin said, letting go of her hand and pulling away the slightest bit.

They made their way back into the room in silence, each one deep into their own thoughts, and when she went to sleep at night it wasn't with Grumpy or Mary Margaret on her mind.

No, she went to sleep wondering why couldn't she tell the man sleeping on the floor that yes, that they could share the bed and that she was going to go with him to his family thing…

TBC?

Alright so I'm trying to do more or less some kind of slow burn with these two and I know that can throw some people off. So yay, nay? What do you think?


	5. Chapter 5

For Regina, waking up has always been gradual. It was a slow progress where her body would react way before her foggy mind and as a result, in more than one occasion she has woken up with the spray of the shower hitting her full force as a cruel and perhaps somehow rude final wake up call.

It was a strange thing, actually, because even though she wouldn't say she slept-walked as she more or less was aware of herself dragging herself out of bed before heading towards the bathroom, she couldn't say that she was awake either.

It was almost as she was in a limbo, stuck between here and there, moving through a bizarre world where she was only half aware of what was happening.

It has been like that since she could remember. As a kid it meant she could one day wake up and head out of her bedroom only to slam against the door because she wasn't fully really aware she has gotten out of bed and as an adult she has even gone ahead and answered the phone and start a conversation with a business associate living at the other side of the world and who held no etiquette when calling after hours.

It was an inconvenient thing, but because she lived on her own it has never been really a big deal.

Actually, it was more annoying than anything else because she would always feel restless before even getting out of bed and being half conscious, she would rather just keep sleeping.

It was a never ending cycle and that morning was not the exception.

That was why and how she ended up rolling in bed impatiently, wrestling with the blanket when it felt too hot, covering her face with her arms to then throw them away in frustration and overall just trying to get in a more comfortable position.

Not that she ever got it because that morning, her sleeping accommodations felt quite odd. The pillow was too fluffily, the blanket too warm and the fact that she went to bed fully dressed had her uncomfortable as hell.

That was why sometime during the night she kicked her pants away and then even her shirt and bra, because why in the blue hell would she want to sleep with all those clothes?

Keeping her eyes closed, she sighed loudly and before her mind could even register it, she was getting out of bed.

Her feet moved as if it automatic because by instinct they already knew the way to her bathroom. So that way, using a hand to run it through her hair as if to smooth the untamed locks she walked…

The only problem with that was that not even five steps away from the bed her feet came up with something along the way and getting caught of guard she tripped with it, making her stumble to the floor.

But she didn't quite hit the floor and instead of the hard wood what she encountered was a body.

"Fuck." The body groaned in a strangled puff of air when her elbow hit it full force in what she later assumed to be it's stomach. She gasped in reply, not really knowing what was going on.

It wasn't until she felt a pair of hands on the bare skin of her ribcage trying to push her away that realization hit her full force. And still, the shock of it made her freeze on the spot.

She tripped on top of Robin, Robin… the man she just married for show and who has been sleeping on the floor next to her bed and now she was basically all over him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He groaned, apparently trying to sit. His words made her snap out of her trance and she tried to move away.

Unfortunately, she couldn't see a damn thing and she only managed to make her forehead collide hard against his face and then with another groan he fell on his back again.

Now, the impact hurt like hell and to balance herself she placed her hands against his solid frame, her palms pressing to his chest at the same time that she realized that one of her knees was in contact with certain part of his anatomy that was apparently standing to attention.

"What the…" She began to ask, still a bit confused.

All she knew was that she somehow was on top of him, her legs straddling one of his thighs while he held her at a distance. She was now also aware that his hands were just starting to slide a bit up until she could feel them right underneath the valley of her breast, not quite touching her inappropriately but still… awkward and unwanted.

"Get your hands off!"

"You get off."

Rolling away from him and feeling more than a little mortified with the whole thing, Regina covered herself with her hands and cowered next to the bed. She was awake alright, but apparently too stunned to react accordingly.

"You burst my lip. Seriously Regina, what the bloody hell was that?"

Blinking slowly, Regina snarled her lips, getting in full defense mode. "What was that? You got in my damn way when all I was trying to do was go to the bathroom, you made me trip!"

In the darkness, she saw him stand up while an incredulous laugh came off of him. "I got in your way? I was peacefully sleeping on the floor like you bloody forced me to do and you attacked me, so don't put this one on me."

Before she could reply to that, he turned on the lamp and she gasped in surprise, covering herself as best as she could while forcing her eyes to remain open under the sudden brightness.

"What are you doing? Turn that thing off!" She yelped because there she was, in nothing but her panties and her arm to cover her breast while Robin stood tall in front of her.

Now, very much unlike her, he was fully dressed, wearing grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt which on itself was a relief, but because she was on the floor and basically at eye level with the lower part of his body, she couldn't help but to notice that he was still sporting his morning wood.

"Oh my God, put that thing away from my face." She groaned, using her hand to shield her eyes from such a vision.

"You're unbelievable." He complained, but then he did as she instructed, accommodating himself in such a way that he at least wasn't tenting. Somehow having him touch himself in her presence made it worse so she just had to close her eyes tight shut while pressing her fingers to her temples.

"I can't believe this."

Yes, she was very much aware of how it was that the male anatomy worked and that it was a normal thing in the mornings for them to be… well, erect, but that she knew didn't mean she needed to see it. It was bad enough that she touched it with her knee earlier on so this was completely unnecessary.

She only opened her eyes when she believed him to be done and then, when she noticed that he was still there she scoffed. "Don't just stand there, go away."

Looking down at her and using his fingers to inspect the damage done to his bloody lip, Robin snorted, his eyes lingering on her more than what it was probably necessary. But then after a few more seconds he reached for the blanket he has been using and threw it at her.

"Cover yourself, you look ridiculous." With that said he turned his back on her and headed towards the bathroom.

Once he was away, Regina pulled the blanket to her chest and then she buried her face into her hands so that she could groan.

"What the hell was that?" She mumbled into her hands because she really didn't know. What happened there was embarrassing and definitely not how she wanted to start her day.

By the time he came out from the bathroom, she was a bit more composed and definitely fully dressed. He didn't say anything about what just happened and neither did her, she just walked with her chin held up to the bathroom and got ready for the day.

It was only when they were seated in the restaurant of the hotel, eating their breakfast and suffocating in the awkward silence surrounding them that he spoke.

"So is this thing of stripping naked and throwing yourself at me going to be recurrent? Because I don't think you mentioned it in the contract."

Dropping her fork over her plate and sending his way an icy cold glance, Regina finished chewing and then swallowing her food before reaching for the glass of juice to help it wash it down.

She gained a little time with that, her mind debating between answering or just pouring the rest of her juice over his head.

The last one was out of the question while in the crowded restaurant and with Leroy probably lurking around so she stuck with just giving him an answer.

"First of all, I did not strip naked-"

"You did according to what I saw… and felt for that matter." Robin interrupted her, smiling his annoying smile. It made her feel glad that she ended up giving him a bloody lip.

"Well I did not; and second I didn't throw myself at you. I tripped because of all the places you could have chosen to lay down you picked to do it in the middle of the damn floor. You were in my way."

"I was in the spot you sent me to."

Scoffing in frustration, Regina picked her fork once again and tried not to snap at him. "You know what, let's not talk about this ever again."

Robin shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee as his eyes settled on hers. When he was done he placed the mug back on the table and cleared his throat. "Can't promise that… sorry, I mean…" He snorted and shrugged again. "You were bloody naked."

Scratching furiously at her neck, Regina shook her head. She was about to tell him that she hadn't been entirely naked as she had her panties on but somehow that sounded so wrong in her ears.

"Are you done?" She asked, her mood sour. "I mean I know this made your day as you probably don't get around many… _partially… _naked woman as much as you would like to, but I would appreciate if you would act a little bit more mature about it so that we could go on with the day in the most pleasant way."

Tipping his head to the side, Robin squinted his eyes. It looked as if he was about to reply to her because he even opened his mouth momentarily, but then he clasped it back shut and instead of talking he just bit into his toast, chewing slowly and keeping his sparkling blue eyes on her.

The rest of the day went a little better, but it was only because they busied themselves playing the happy tourists. They went around, took lots of pictures to document the trip in case someone wouldn't believe they had a honeymoon and overall taking cover among all the other visitors.

She never spotted Leroy or anyone suspicious following them around during their time out, an important detail that made her relax a little so at least that was something.

Sure, the awkwardness hung heavy in the air, especially when they had to pose as a smiling couple into a few selfies, but at least they were not locked in their room on their own.

"If I tell you something, you promise not to freak out?"

Jumping a little when the question was whispered into her ear, Regina clenched her teeth a little.

She has been engrossed by checking some handbags in one of the shops they entered at the end of the day so he caught her by surprise, not only by talking to her but also by the way his hands settled on her waist as he leaned against her from behind.

So yes, he surprised her, but she also guessed this unusual approach from Robin's part had a reason and she almost knew what he was going to say. That was partly why she tensed under his touch, her posture straightening as she consciously placed a hand over his.

"He's here, isn't he?" She forced a smile on her lips, trying to give the impression to anyone who could be looking that he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear and that she was content with that.

"If by _him_ you mean the man from last night then yes, he has been lurking in the back of the store for a while now and he's very interested in what you're doing."

As if by sensing what she was doing to do, Robin's hand slid to her stomach to hold her in place. It was too much of an intimate touch to be unnoticed by her so she had to hold her breath not to cringe away from it, her muscles tensing under the palm of his hand.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, feeling his face press to her check.

"Just act normal, would you?"

Blowing out the breath she has been holding, Regina turned around so that she could face Robin. She did it with a smile softening her features and when she was fully in front of him she rose on the tip of her shoes and got closer to him…

So close that her lips ended up a breath away from his. From a distance, one could tell she just kissed him and she almost did, her lips even parting a little and her eyes fixed on his mouth. But instead of a smooch she smiled wilder and wrinkled her nose.

"Oh I will."

With that said, she pulled away from him and swirled on her heels, trying to act normal as she moved through the store. Then almost as if it was a coincidence she lifted her face just in time get a glimpse of the man who was trying to flee the scene.

He didn't do it on time though and she basically caught him red-handed.

Faking a double take an a full astonished look, she frowned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Growling and grabbing the hat he has been wearing, Leroy looked at her angrily. The truth was that the two of them had never gotten along as he had been Leopold's number one enabler in his wicked antics.

During her whole marriage, her interactions with the man she used to call Grumpy were nothing but strained and then after Leopold died, things just got worse.

Since then they were openly hostile towards each other. He even went as far as to publicly claim she probably had something to do with her late husband's death and well, she didn't help matters by leaving the house right after the funeral.

Mary Margaret knew that, so sending him to spy on her was definitely an open cry for battle.

"You know why I'm here. I'm looking for Mary Margaret's assets." He admitted as if it was nothing.

Her eyes widened at his words and she smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile though and definitely not an amused one, it was the kind that bordered into simply insane.

"She sent you, didn't she?" She asked expectantly, half of her thrilled about how she was about to officially confirm that Mary Margaret held ill intentions towards her.

Clicking his tongue in irritation, the man scoffed. "As if she would do that. Everyone knows she is blind when it comes to you and that she will believe everything you say. She didn't even see through you when you abandoned her to her luck after her father died. But I'm here and just so you know, I'm keeping my eyes on you."

"Is everything alright?"

As if a background noise, she heard Robin ask, but when she felt his arm circle around her waist she didn't even move. She was using all the power of her will not to wrap her hands around the dwarf's throat and just squeeze as hard as she could.

"Abandoned her?" She laughed at that. "The girl has been living a wealthy live because of me, and you've been leeching off on her so don't even go there."

"Regina…" Robin warned but she didn't listen.

"She was just a child when her father died, and you left her."

"She was the same age I was when I was sent here to marry the animal she called father so get over it, besides it wasn't like I had any obligation to her, I'm not her mother."

Taking his eyes off of her, Leroy faced Robin. "If I were you I would keep an eye on this one. You married a snake… a harpy, brother, and before you know it she will do to you the same she did to poor Leopold."

Before she could even open her mouth to reply, Robin stepped forward and grabbed Leroy by the collar of his shirt. "Talk like that about her once more and I'm going to knock the teeth off your mouth. First warning is going to be free, the second not so much. Now piss off."

With that said, Robin let go of Grumpy. Regina watched all that happen through wide eyes, watching as the man left while giving her the evil eye.

Blinking slowly, she faced Robin. She didn't know what to say because fake or not this was the first time in her life that someone would go and defend her and she was a little confused about it.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

With that said, Robin grabbed her arm and lead her out of the store and into the busy streets outside. She followed him, not quite recognizing the strange feeling settling in the pit of her stomach…

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Note**: So this is just a filler chapter to get to know some of Regina's background and yes, to make her bond a little with Robin. Hope you enjoy!

**THE PROPOSAL**

"What an awful little shit that… Leroy turned out be."

Laughing bitterly as she poured a good amount of Whiskey into the small glass resting on top of her hotel room's bathroom vanity, the dark haired woman known as Regina Mills licked her lips and decided to say nothing.

Yes, she knew how much of a little shit Leroy was; she has known for years, but because the last thing she needed was for the memory of what happened during her confrontation with the man to keep dancing throughout her skull, she just watched as the brown colored liquid filled the glass to the top.

She needed to drink that down, urgently, because she was feeling restless and she needed help calming down.

It was simple, she needed to drown the raging feelings that wanted to take over her because she very damn well knew that once they invaded and exploded within her psyche, there was not much she could do keep them down.

It has always been like that for her, she lived her emotions to the extreme and even though she has spent the last few years of her life trying to tame the wild impulses that anger provoked in her, she knew that one day she was going to give in and that it was going to make her sink to lowest depths of depravity.

It was that bad but what was worse, she knew she could become pretty messed up when angry and for that same reason she was trying her best to swallow down her feelings and forget all about what happened.

"I mean, the nerve of him was... unbelievable."

Swirling around on the heels of her bare feet, Regina walked out of the bathroom just in time to see Robin furiously taking things out of his suitcase and throwing them over the bed.

It seemed like he was looking for something he couldn't quite find. Not that she really cared, but because deviating her thoughts away from Grumpy sounded like a great plan, she just took the first big swallow of her drink and just observed him.

Now, the Whiskey burnt it's way down her throat in that familiar way that made her want to cough, but she didn't, she just cleared her throat and blinked away the stinging feeling in her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm looking for…" He began to say as he turned around to face her, but upon laying his eyes on her he stopped mid-sentence and furrowed his brows.

"I should be asking that question myself, what the bloody hell are you doing?"

Arching an eyebrow, Regina looked down to her hands and shrugged. It was obvious what she was doing, and maybe if he wasn't so dense he would know too. After all she had a glass in one hand and a bottle of Whiskey in the other.

"Well, Robin… I'm obviously not getting ready for needlework." As if to prove her point, she neared the glass to her lips and filled her mouth with the fiery liquid, then, she swallowed it all down in a gulp.

It didn't burn down her throat as the first one, but she definitely felt it settle in her stomach like a fireball.

Clicking his tongue and rolling his eyes, Robin walked to her and took the glass from her hands. "That's not how you drink Whiskey, give me that." He said, trying to take the bottle too.

She didn't let him though and hid it behind her back.

It was silly, really, but when he sent her way an impatient glance she just smiled in satisfaction. "You keep drinking like that and it will go to your head before you know it."

"Maybe that's the point." She said, probably a little too loudly and she wondered if the liquor was already having an effect on her.

Scoffing, Robin ran a hand down his face. "Yes, because that's why I really need right, dealing with a drunk pissed off woman."

With that said, he turned around and taking the glass with him, he started to put his things back in his suitcase while mumbling to himself.

"Yes, Robin, apply for the job, it will be fun… they said, it will open doors for you… that they also said. Tsk, the bloody hell it did."

Her eyes rolled, first because of his tone and then because of what he said before.

"Just for the record, it did open doors for you so go cry a river somewhere else, second… well, I'm not pissed off, I'm actually very pleased. There's nothing like seeing an old enemy walk away with the tail between his legs."

Yes, that Grumpy walked out like that was all because of Robin so she did something she hasn't done in the longest of times. Maybe the Whiskey was having an effect on her after all.

"I… think I need to thank you for, you know." She shrugged, leaving it there, but because that took a huge amount of effort she drank straight from the bottle.

"What did you… are you really, really thanking me?" He turned back to her, one of his insolent smiles taking over his lips and his eyes sparkling in amusement. "Regina Mills just thanked me… I'm… wow."

"You know, I'm going to take it back if you're going to make such a big deal out of it."

"The hell you will." He laughed. "I mean, I've done things before, big things for you like… changing tires in the middle of the night and while off duty or I don't know, marrying you so you could keep control of the company and you've never even care to show some gratitude. So yes, this is kind of a big deal. You know what, I'll even mark it up in my calendar."

Snarling her lips, she groaned. "Just shut up, will you?"

Licking his lips, Robin sighed. He did it with the full intensity of his blue eyes on her and his dimple smile in full display.

"All jokes aside, the man was way out of line. You are a lady, and regardless of… you being the way you are, you deserve some level of respect."

At that, Regina snorted. "I am a lot of things, Robin, but a lady is not one of them."

If he had any doubt he just had to look at her because there she was, barefoot, her hair a mess and drinking out of a bottle of whiskey. The thought that she has sunk so low made her snicker.

"That's debatable at it's best. I was raised the old fashion way and believe it or not there's still a little bit of gentleman left in me. I won't stand for that disrespect against any woman, even if it's you."

Not sure if she was supposed to feel insulted by the way he said that or not, she frowned.

"Okay that didn't come out quite right, did it?"

A laugh spontaneously burst out of her as she shook her head no; he laughed along, the unusual richness of the sound echoing through the room. "No it didn't."

The small exchange felt somehow strange, especially when his eyes met hers. She didn't know why was that because she was the type of woman who looked at people in the eye until their gaze would drop; but that night, in that room and with alcohol running through her system, she felt a little odd.

She still held his gaze for a few seconds though, but then remembering the awkward moment they had when waking up and then how he stood up for her even if he didn't have to, she shifted her eyes away, looking down to the bottle as she chewed on her lips.

"I'll tell you what, since you already made your mind about the drinking, let's do it right. To start things off, you can't drink out of the bottle; there are levels for that kind of drinking and I don't think you've reached that one yet. Second, this…" He said pointing at the glass in his hand and then bringing it to his lips to take a sip. "It's not meant to be chugged down. You need to savor it, slowly. And for last, there's a rule out there that says that if you can help it, you shall never drink alone so…"

He walked to the mini bar and grabbed for another glass. Once in his hold he walked to her and taking the bottle from her hands he poured a few ounces before handing that one to her.

He kept the bottle though, putting it away before having a drink from the glass he initially took from her.

Tilting her chin up, Regina squinted her eyes. If she had to be honest, she would have to admit that she wasn't completely unaffected by the amount of alcohol she already had in her system. She wouldn't say she was drunk yet, but she was positively on the right path.

But because she was too stubborn for her own good, she scoffed and drank the small amount he poured in one gulp. "The thing is, you can't tell me how to get drunk. You are not the boss of me, I… am your boss."

Her tone was supposed to be menacing, but Robin didn't even blink.

"Alright then, but… since we are not exactly working as of now and our contract specifies how your position can't be used as an advantage while on our days off, that means we need to follow the rules of drinking."

"The what?" She asked, scrunching her nose.

He hummed in affirmation. "The rules of drinking, you've never heard about that? Well, according to them, since we are now doing this together that automatically means we need to be leveled up and that also means you'll have to wait for me to catch up. And Regina, you have quite an advantage so why don't you get yourself comfortable while I drink this up."

She snorted. "Well that's ridiculous, am I supposed to just stand here watching you drink?"

"What can I say, I don't make the rules." He took another sip, savoring it in his mouth before swallowing down.

She was sure he did that deliberately slow just to rile her up, and that's when she realized she would have to wait a long while if he was going to drink in such damn calm.

"You can also sit and I don't know, talk."

"Hmm, if I wanted to talk I would have called for a therapist instead of ordering that bottle."

But she did sit on the edge of the bed, blinking slowly as the palms of her hands settled at each side of her.

"Is it wrong to have them both for the price of one? I mean I'm not a therapist or anything of the like but I'm a good listener."

Her lips curved into half a sad smile. "Are you always so chatty? It's annoying."

He shrugged, his eyes on her as he took another sip of whisky. "What happened in your marriage that left such a mess? I mean this rivalry thing with Mary Margaret and now Leroy has me very much intrigued."

Drawing in a deep breath, Regina decided that she was probably drunk because she was nursing the idea of answering that question and that was something she would never consider while in her right mind.

No, she was extremely protective of her private life and the last thing she needed was to share those dark memories.

But still…

"It's a long story."

"Then it is a good think I've got nothing but time." With that said, Robin walked to her and sat on the bed, his legs stretched before him and his back resting against the headboard.

In that position, he could see her profile but she couldn't quite see him since she was staring off ahead. It made her feel vulnerable but deciding to turn a blind eye to that she sucked in a breath and shrugged.

"There's not much to say, I married when I was eighteen. An arranged marriage if you would believe it and… needless to say I didn't want it. One thing lead to another, things got complicated and then he died. Like I said, there's nothing much to it."

He laughed heartedly and she leered at him. "Regina, you didn't tell me anything with that. At least nothing I didn't already know."

Pursing her lips petulantly, Regina lifted a hand to her head so that her fingers could run through her dark locks. "They blame me, for Leopold's death."

"Oh." Robin said after a couple of seconds. "But didn't he die of a heart attack?"

"He did. But if you believed everything Leroy says, you would think I was the one who provoked it by upsetting him."

"How's that?"

Sighing out loud, Regina lifted her hands in the air. This was something that couldn't be told with simple answers.

"He… well, we didn't get along. Everyone in that house knew it. The man was twice my age, I had quite a temper and before he passed we got into more than a few altercations… most of them verbally but you, a few went physical."

"You mean like he hit you?"

Running her tongue against the edge of her teeth, Regina blinked slowly. "Let's say I kind of provoked him; I would say things until he was so mad that…"

She stopped there for a second, the memories coming at her full force.

"It wasn't always like that though. After we got married he wouldn't even acknowledge my presence. It was a marriage in name, thankfully and the only thing that was expected of me was to keep Mary Margaret company."

Rolling her eyes at the memory, she went on.

"She was just this clingy girl that would follow me around everywhere I go and yes, it was annoying but it wasn't that bad. _He_ was barely in the house and rumor had it he had a mistress and I couldn't be more happier. With him gone I was free to do as I wanted and as it happened, whenever Mary Margaret wasn't around all I did was go to the stables to ride my mare. Those were the good days."

And yes, in a way she has been the closest to happy she has ever been back then.

"And then I met Daniel. I was young, lonely and I thought I fell in love and you know how that is. He worked at the stables… and him and I, well… that didn't age well."

Snorting, she closed her eyes.

"To make a long story short, Mary Margaret found out and even though I made her swear she wouldn't tell on me, she did. That's when things started to turn sour. We had the first fight shortly after that. It got heated, and from ignoring me for the good part of that first year he suddenly was very interested; especially about how far things went with Daniel."

Blinking her eyes open, she ventured to take a look at Robin to make sure he was still there. He was, unusually quiet with his arms folded to his chest and an unreadable expression on his face.

Straightening up again, she went on. "I told him, hell… I yelled it at him and he got furious. He hit me, a slap across the face that almost knocked me over. I was obviously shocked, but then he grabbed me and tried to do other things and I fought him… so hard. I don't think there was anyone in that house who didn't know what was happening in that room and the only one who came in was Mary Margaret."

Yes, she remembered how the girl came in, tears streaming down her face and begging her father to stop. She also remembered the state she was in, her lips bleeding, her eyes wide and half her clothes ripped.

Puffing out a breath, she threw her head back and stared at the ceiling. The movement made her feel dizzy and she had to straighten up and close her eyes for a moment.

When the sensation faded she went on.

"He didn't get to do anything more than manhandling me that night, probably because of his daughter. He didn't try… _that_, any other night either. But being the hot headed person that I am I used to provoke him just to rile him up… you know, just because I knew he wouldn't do anything. There was the occasional slap and I think there was one day he grabbed me by the hair and basically dragged me all the way downstairs and out of the house, but nothing more."

"Nothing more? Regina, the man was abusing you."

Abuse… she hated that word because it would mean she was a victim and she refused to be labeled as that. That was why she has adopted such a cold and perhaps detached persona, because she wasn't going to give anyone the power of ever putting her down again.

"That happened a lot of time ago so there's no need to pity me. Everything that happened in that house made me stronger and wiser so there's that."

"I'm not pitying you. But you're sitting there, in a way justifying what he did because you were a handful when in reality the one in the wrong was him. He was a big man and you're just… this tiny little thing so there was no excuse to lay a hand on you."

"I'm stronger than what I look. And I'm not that tiny."

He smiled, but just a little. "Well you are both, strong and tiny. Or what, you think I didn't notice how you are suddenly lacking a few inches in height?"

Her nose wrinkled because he was probably right; in the office she was always wearing at least three inches in heels and after seeing her both barefoot and in more comfortable footwear, he just had to notice the difference.

But instead of adding to that, she just looked at him and arched an eyebrow. "Did I earn a refill?"

"Well, I haven't caught up yet but here… just a sip."

He slid over the mattress so that he could be closer to her, then once by her side he handed her his glass.

Regina drank more than a sip and noticing, Robin took the glass from her hand and pulled it away. As a result, some of the liquid spilled down, going from her lips to her chin.

"Sorry." He hurried to say in a chuckle and before she could go ahead and wipe her mouth, Robin lifted his hand to her face and with his thumb he did it himself.

Blinking slowly and with the whiskey still in her mouth, Regina watched him. His eyes set on her mouth as he cleaned the damage done. And as that happened, she had to swallow hard on the liquid as the feeling of his finger running across her bottom lip made her heart skip a beat.

Yes, she was definitely more drunk than sober because if it would have been the other way around, she would have slapped his hand away while telling him not to touch her.

"There." He said once he was done, his eyes lifting to her own brown orbs to settle there.

It was the second time that night they would lock eyes so that she would feel disconcerted, but this time he was the one who looked away.

Clearing his throat and drinking the rest of the whiskey, he got to his feet and stretched a little.

"Do you really want more to drink?"

"I do, but I shouldn't. I mean… I already spilled all my beans so what would come next?"

He poured for himself and drank. "Just for the record, after listening to what you just said and considering things from outside, I don't think Mary Margaret blames you. That's not the impression I got from her, I don't even think she dislikes you. As for Leroy, we agreed he's shit so who cares what he thinks?"

Cringing a little, Regina twisted her lips. "Well, after he died… I quickly packed my things to leave while Mary Margaret was still a mess; she was begging not to go and maybe I kind of said a few things to her that weren't too kind so… no, she may not hate me but she dislikes me."

"I don't know… I just think all that was extremely unfortunate, and it's infuriating that even after his death Leopold still affects you so much."

"Oh, no he doesn't affect me."

"Really? Seems to me he does as you can't even say his name, and as if that wasn't enough he affects you in the way you still carry a grudge for his daughter."

She groaned and waved him away. She didn't carry a grudge for the girl because of her father… not even for telling on her. It was just that by default she hated every single element of that old live and her stepdaughter was a huge link she wanted to break.

She knew her from before, when she was nothing but weak and for that she resented her.

"Shut up. You said you were only going to listen, not butting in."

"Technically I did so I'll give you that. But before we close the subject I have to add something. There's nothing wrong with admitting that the past affects us in someway, after all what we lived through is what shaped us into what we are today… for better or for worse."

"What? You have a past too?"

"We all do."

Humming and suddenly curious, Regina tilted her head towards him. But before she could ask he said he was going to get a shower and then he left.

Laying down and feeling as if the entire room was spinning, the brunette groaned and grabbed her head. Yes, she drank too much and considering they had the Milan presentation scheduled in the afternoon, that was an inconvenience.

"Stupid dwarf." She mumbled, blaming Leroy for her current situation.

By the time Robin got out of the bathroom, she was feeling a little better. True, her mind was foggy and all her limbs felt like rubber, but at least she wasn't so dizzy.

"You don't have to… sleep on the floor."

She said that as he was spreading a thick comforter on the floor and he stopped to stare at her distrustfully.

"I mean as long as you stay on your side."

"Okay." He said tentatively. He still went to the bed and maintaining a distance, he lay down.

Turning the lights off, Regina tried to get comfortable, she couldn't quite achieve that goal so after a while she just lay on her side, breathing into the silence.

She could listen to her own heart beating and even though she couldn't see him or even feel him, his presence was in a way palpable.

"Robin?" She called for him.

"Hmm?"

"I forgot to tell you something."

"What?"

"I kind of… move a lot while sleeping… so, if I do get on your side or if I do something weird, just… feel free to wake me up."

He laughed. "You're not going to strip naked again, will you? I mean not that I mind but I don't want to deal with you being pissed about it afterwards."

Rolling her eyes, she groaned. She didn't think the stripping thing was going to happen again, it was in her subconscious already so she really didn't think so. But she could kick him or roll over him or something like that. "Just wake me up, okay."

"Okay."

Closing her eyes and tucking a hand underneath the pillow, she sighed. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes**: I know the beginning of this feels like a set-back but it's not, it's just Regina being Regina. Thanks for the reviews and enjoy!

**THE PROPOSAL**

"Regina, when I said we were going to travel light and comfortable, I meant it."

Blinking the soft chocolate warm of her eyes rapidly as her chin tilted up so that she could send a quizzical look in Robin's direction, Regina hummed in surprise.

It was as if she didn't understand the words that just came out of his mouth because really, she was dressed comfortable and she packed as lightly as she could.

She had just that one suitcase… well and a somehow huge handbag with her toilerettes, but under her standards that was traveling ridiculously light.

As for her clothes? She couldn't see how there was nothing wrong with them. He said comfortable and that's what she went for, choosing from her closet a cute spaghetti strap blouse that adjusted to her figure perfectly without being too tight and linen pants…

Comfortable and perhaps a bit simple, but chic.

"Well," She began to say while taking a look at the suitcase she just rolled into her living room. "This is me being light and comfortable."

Now, her reply came off as a little bit dry and she knew it, but because she wanted to match the annoyed glance he had set on her and most definitely, the insolent tone he used to talk to her, she did that on purpose.

She didn't know what was with him that day and why he was so jumpy, but she'll be damned if she was going to let him treat her as if she was a thorn at his side.

Yes, she got it… she probably was a pain, especially with how she has been acting as of late, but even though he didn't have to be so touchy about it. As a rule she liked being the bitchy one and if she had to fight for her spot then she sure as hell was going to do it.

Not even once did it cross her mind to think that maybe Robin was doing the same with her, reflecting his behavior into her own rotten mood because that was not the kind of person that he was.

Of what she has observed so far, she could say that he was definitely more level headed than what she has ever been and she didn't think he would sink to her level of pettiness.

Oh but if he would be the type of person that went with the eye for an eye kind of thinking, she could understand why he was acting as if her mere presence annoyed him, because maybe she has been acting extremely difficult to deal with for the past week.

What could she say? It was a mechanism of defense. During their time in their supposedly honeymoon she has showed herself vulnerable to him in ways that still confused her so she began building up her walls again.

She drew an imaginary line between them and prohibited herself to ever cross it again. No more chit chatting or making pretty eyes at each other and definitely no alcohol. Their relationship had to be strictly professional and that was it.

She decided that as soon as she woke up the morning after their encounter with Leroy, when she opened her eyes only to realize she was snuggled up against him, head on his chest, leg hooked over his and his own arm circling her.

It has been mortifying to say the least so no, there had to be boundaries and she set them.

So yes, she has been cutting, more demanding when it came to work and more secluded when they were home.

They only acted the couple when in public and since the week has been super intense between closing the Milan deal, working on it, getting the papers for her citizenship ready and also Robin moving into her house, acting up has been practically unnecessary.

She has been able to evade Mary Margaret too, using what happened with Leroy as an excuse to claim she was upset with the girl and as always, her stepdaughter has showed herself baffled but she granted her time alone which helped Regina buy more time.

So in a way everything has been good, well at least until that moment when they had to go to Robin's family outside of London and once again tip toe into the unknown.

"First of all that suitcase looks like it weights a good twenty kilos and second, how's that comfortable? You're wearing bloody heels."

"They are booties, and just so you know, they are comfortable." Her tone was mark by irritation as he eyed him down, starting by the plain t-shirt he was wearing, going down to his faded jeans and ending with the most obnoxious sneakers her eyes had ever seen. "But if what you wanted was for me to look like a peasant to match your look then you should have given me the specifics."

Taking in a deep breath and letting it blow forcefully through his mouth, Robin ran a hand along the stubble on his jaw. "We are going to the woods; Regina… to the woods, it's not a fancy hotel in Capri or Rome so there's no need to go looking so high maintenance."

"So-" She began to say in a snort, because if he though she was looking high maintenance then he clearly was spending too much time among insipid women who clearly had no sense of what it meant to carry an appearance. "You really like expected me to be wearing… I don't know, rags?"

"You know what?" He breathed out, pursing his lips as he grabbed for his duffle bag. "Never mind. It's too damn early to be bickering so let's go."

With that said, the man turned around and without even offering help with her own things, he walked out the door.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the handle of her suitcase and after setting up the alarm system, she walked out as well.

For the next three hours they drove, going out of the city and heading north. Needless to say the ride was mostly made in awkward silence and the usual snarky comment now and then, but when they were almost there Regina cleared her throat and shifting on her seat she decided to talk like the civilized people they were supposed to be.

"Anything I should know before we get there?"

"Like what?" He asked curtly.

Groaning softly, Regina closed her eyes. She didn't like it when he was in a mood and he apparently woke up in one. "I don't know, Robin, like anything a wife should know about her husband's family?"

Taking his eyes off the road for a second so that he could look at her, Robin sighed.

"It's not my family per se. I mean it's not like we are blood related. She's just the woman I grew up with. It's a… let's say a home for children with no other family members."

"Like an orphanage? In the woods…" She asked almost tentatively, noticing how his fingers were tapping impatiently against the steering wheel.

"More or less, yeah."

Nodding, the raven haired twisted her lips. What he just said was something she hadn't known; yes she remembered him saying something about growing up in a house with other kids but the truth was that she didn't give it too much though.

Now that she came to really think about it, the truth was that she didn't know much about him. No more than their daily interactions at the office would allow anyway and that was basically nothing.

It was all work for them and the only revealing conversation about either one of their lives has come from her… when she was drunk and he pulled it out of her. But when it came to him, he really didn't say much.

"And this woman's name is…"

"Just Granny."

For more than a few seconds, Robin said nothing more and Regina was sure the conversation was going to end there; but then he kept on.

"We've been calling her like that since forever, even when she very well could have been our mother. She's older now so it fits better."

"Does she still has kids over?"

"Just a little more than a handful, nothing like before. I think it's harder to keep things as they were for her nowadays so I try to come and help with a few things every now and then. A few of us do… for this visit Little John and I will be around putting together some bunk beds and other stuff."

"Little John." Regina whispered out loud just because the name sounded like some mafia member.

"We both grew up there, I mean Little Jon and me."

"Okay." She said simply, even when she was itching to ask how he ended up in there. She also wanted to know why he was in such a mood.

Was it because she tagged along?

She wouldn't be so sure about that, first because it has been him the one who suggested her to go and second, because he has been annoyed at her many a time before and in none of those occasions has he acted like he was acting.

It just felt odd, but at least he got to tell her a few essentials about what she could expect at the house.

Turning her face towards the window and thinking there was nothing to do about his mood, she decided to leave him alone.

When they arrived, it was still a little shy of noon but she was starving. She would have asked Robin to stop along the way to eat something but it wasn't like the road was full of options, because as Robin warned her, they were in the woods… like real woods.

There were cabins scattered, yes, she was sure she spotted something that looked like a cafeteria/bar/store but that was it, nothing that closely resembled a civilized world.

"This is it." He said while pulling over.

Regina climbed out of the car and after closing the door, she took a look at the outsides of the house. Well, more than a house it looked like a manor taken out of a postcard in the early twenties.

It was impressive, because even though they were in the woods, the structure rose in the middle of it all, majestically contrasting with the rest of the panorama.

"Robin!"

Jumping a little when a shriek took her out of her trance, Regina saw a little boy that couldn't be more than six appear from out of nowhere and run towards them. He didn't stop until Robin grabbed him in the middle of his run and lifted him up in the air.

"Hey there, champ."

Clinging to Robin's neck before pulling away, the boy began to speak to fast that Regina had a hard time keeping up with what was being said.

It made Robin laugh and Regina was relieved that at least he didn't carry on with the mood. "Slow down and say all that again."

"Is it true that you got us new beds? Little John told me so!"

"Peter, what did I say about yelling around the house?"

Moving her eyes to a new figure, Regina watched as an older woman came out the door. She looked like she meant business, with her hands set on her hips and her face set into a scowl.

"But I'm not in the house." The boy complained.

"But you are around it, aren't you?"

Giggling instead of looking upset, the boy jumped out of Robin's arms an ran into the house.

The woman scoffed, but when the kid went past her she ruffled his hair. "No running either. And you," She said looking at Robin, "Come here."

"Granny." Walking to her as she instructed, Robin hugged her. He even lifted her up until the woman began to complain.

Regina just watched the exchange, feeling out of place and chewing on the inside of her cheek compulsively.

"Now where are your manners? Aren't you going to introduce me to the young lady over there?"

As if he suddenly remembered her presence, Robin clicked his tongue and turning to Regina he extended an arm to her. She assumed it was for her to take so she did, forcing a smile on her lips as she felt Robin's hands engulf hers.

"Of course, so… this is Regina… my wife. And um, Regina, this is Granny."

Feeling the discomfort in his voice as he introduced her as his wife, Regina's smiled got a tad wider. "Nice to meet you."

"Well my, my, you didn't mention she was so pretty." The older woman shook firmly Regina's free hand, but then moving her face to Robin she lowered her voice a little, almost as if she didn't want her to listen. "Looks a bit high maintenance though. You told her you were just going to bring her here, right?"

Clenching her jaw and biting her tongue not to reply sarcastically to that, Regina felt how Robin gave her hand a little squeeze, a silent way of telling her 'I told you so.'

"Actually I did, but she is as stubborn as she is pretty. Right, babe?" He asked, fixing his eyes on her as his lips curved in a smug smile.

Scrunching her nose, Regina let out a small laugh, obviously fake and squeezed his hand as tight as she could. "He's so funny, I love that about him."

"And you're so sweet." He said back, mimicking the way she scrunched her nose and leaning a bit more into her. "I just love that about you."

Narrowing her eyes but keeping the smile on her face, she wondered if they were fooling anyone with their little act. It felt so badly acted that she was sure Granny was going to catch them in their farce.

"Alright I get it, you're happy and in love. But you also look like you could use a meal. Come on, I'll fix you both something to eat."

Inside the house, things looked even more impressive to Regina and not necessarily because it's luxury because there was none. But there was certain charm to everything around that simply felt warm and cozy.

She has lived in places bigger and way more elegant, but they lacked the je ne sais quoi she was finding there.

"Now I have to say this, I'm not exactly thrilled with you marrying without even letting me know you were seeing someone so I'm going to let you explain that one to me right here, right now."

Busying herself by taking a bite of her food, Regina felt somehow happy that she didn't exactly get along with her parents. She barely ever spoke to them, but that was good because having to explain how she married her assistance could turn out to be uncomfortable.

"Well… it was something quite unexpected even for us as well." He started to say as his eyes tried to reach for hers. She ignored him, because Granny was his problem, not hers. "You know what, I'm going to let Regina tell the story because she so loves to tell it."

Almost chocking, the brown eyed woman swallowed hard on the food. He just caught her by surprise so widening her eyes a little she stared at him. He ignored her, so having no choice she cleared her throat.

"Well… there's not really much of an interesting story here. I guess we just fell in love… you know, we spend so much time around each other that in a way it was inevitable… And Robin is quite a charmer."

"Ugh, he is. This one could get out of any trouble just by smiling." Granny said, apparently very interested in her made up story.

It motivated Regina to keep going so after taking a sip of water, she leaned into the older woman and kept on.

"We didn't give into the feeling right away because we work together and I didn't want to complicate it. But he's…" She paused, looking at him to get a glimpse at his amused expression. "He's just lovely. He proposed in Italy and we just went for it. That's it, that was basically it. We eloped."

"That's the beauty of love, it will get to you no matter how much you try to run from it. When I met my late husband, I was in a dance. I wasn't supposed to be there but that's part of it, it was destiny. It took me just one song, one dance to know I was going to marry him."

"Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Robin told me that story." Seeing how the woman's eyes lit up if not her face, Regina decided to go ahead. Now she wasn't usually the kind who thrived in making others feel good, but in that moment she felt like playing nice and she what could happen. "It was the first song we danced after getting married."

And that apparently did the trick to get the woman happy, at least Regina believed so, judging by the way she looked at Robin and smiled brightly. He winked at her before sending a quick glance his wife's way.

"I raised this one right for sure. He always stood from the others for being the kindest…. Also the loudest but that's how it is with these stinky boys. I'm glad he found someone to make him happy, not like with Marian, that conniving little-"

"Granny." Robin interrupted her in a warning as his expression turned a little somber.

"What? You know that's the truth nobody wants to say. But I'm old and I can say what comes into my mind. I don't like Marian, I never did and I can't wait to see her face when she finds out you are here happily married, she's going to eat her heart out."

"Okay! So… are you done?" He asked rapidly taking Regina's plate and taking it away. He did it before she could even finish so she ended up with a fork in her hand and a mouthful of food preventing her from telling him she wasn't done.

Taking notice, Granny groaned.

"Where are your manners? Robin, you are going to make me look bad in front of Regina here. She'll think I raised you in a barn."

"No, it's okay, she doesn't eat that much anyway and it's getting late so we have to settle before we begin working on the beds. Is Little John here?"

"She still looks hungry to me."

Granny said just as Robin threw the rest of her food into the trash. The woman apparently didn't like it that and it showed in her face. "Robin Locksley, come and say you're sorry."

"What?" He scoffed as Regina took the moment to drink all her water. It was the best way she found to keep herself busy during the exchange.

"You heard me so don't play dumb."

"You think I'm still ten?"

"You think I can't still whoop your arse? Come and apologize."

"I wasn't finished," Regina decided to intervene just because Robin's face was worth a million dollars. It was amusing to say the least and she could already say she liked this woman.

"I know dear, that's why he'll apologize."

Taking in a deep breath and walking to her, Robin rolled his eyes.

Regina turned fully towards him just so that she could look at him in the eye as he was being scolded.

"I'm sorry. For taking your food when you were not finished. It was inconsiderate of me."

Biting down a grin, she wrinkled her nose. "I forgive you. But don't you do it again."

"Good, now you can kiss her and all will be alright. If there's something I learnt is that in marriage, everything has to be resolved with a kiss."

The grin she has been trying to bite down died on her lips and her eyes got a bit wider.

"We'll kiss tons once we get settled." Robin said, straightening his pose.

"I'm sure you will, but the argument needs closure now."

Blinking slowly and snorting her discomfort away, Regina ventured to speak. "Oh we were not arguing."

"You know why my marriage lasted so much? Because from the very beginning we started with the kissing rule. It never fails."

"You're making this awkward Granny."

"Kissing your wife is awkward? Then how is it when you're trying to make babies?"

"Oh my God." Groaning out loud, Robin slapped his face, letting his hand drag to his jaw.

"Just kiss her."

Scratching down along her neck, Regina saw Robin hesitate. She tried to warn him not to do it with her eyes, but before she could even do such a thing he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

It was something quick and extremely chaste and she was okay with it. She even smiled to let Granny know it was okay.

"There, are you happy?"

"That's not a real kiss."

He scoffed, but then he got closer to her and with his eyes set on hers he whispered. "She's not going to let it go."

Knowing that he was right, the brunette breathed in. "It's okay," She said and just like that, he closed the distance between them and lightly nudged at her lips with his.

With her eyes closed, Regina let him linger, allowing herself to get familiar with the feeling.

His mouth was soft and warm against hers, that was how he felt, and when he parted his lips into the kiss she did the same, their breaths mingling together as the inside of his bottom lip brushed against hers.

It didn't get further than that, because as if remembering herself, Regina broke apart.

"See, I gather you feel better now."

Clearing his throat, Robin took a step back. "I'm going to get the things from the car."

Still seating, Regina watched him go and as she stared after him, a strange feeling that things were about to turn complicated started to eat at her entrails…

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews, you guys are great and definitely keep the motivation going. Enjoy!

**THE PROPOSAL**

"Who is Marian?"

The question was meant to be tossed in the air in the most casual tone Regina could muster, but as soon as the words rolled out of her tongue she could taste the condescending edginess in them.

That right there made her cringe a little because the question came off as a demand instead of a casual query and after the more than uncomfortable moment where Granny basically made them kiss in her kitchen, the last thing she wanted was to keep the awkward aftertaste of it to keep lingering.

Sure, the question on its own felt unpleasant because she has noticed Robin's reaction when Granny mentioned the woman's name. It made him tense up, he has wanted to change the subject and she couldn't help but to have the impression that he just didn't want her to hear more than what was said; but since the subject was something she felt like she needed to know if they really meant to fool everyone in there into thinking they were a real couple, she asked.

His reaction to it now? She didn't know, because his back was to her so she wasn't able to see his face.

He probably wasn't content about her asking that and she knew it, but it was either occupy their time going over something that seemed to be important or just dwelling in the uncomfortable aftermatch of the kiss.

Now… the first seemed like the best option considering they hadn't talked about said kiss since it happened; first because there was nothing much she wanted to discuss about it and second, because she was still trying to convince her mind that it hasn't been such a big deal.

She wanted to think that them kissing, as little as it was, was a simple stipulation of their deal. It was the 'whatever it takes' part of it so she wanted to see it like what it was, as a business transaction that would in some scenarios be inevitable.

Besides, it has been a chaste little thing. It probably didn't last more than ten seconds so she wasn't sure why her mind wanted to make a fuss out of it.

"Can you hand me over the Philips head screwdriver?"

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Regina reached down for the tools scattered around and then stopping midway when she realized she didn't exactly know what the hell was that, she made a grimace of annoyance. "The what?"

"Screwdriver with the pointy edges shaped like a cross." He said without turning, and as she kept looking around he added. "You do know what's a screwdriver, don't you?"

Her eyes rolled. Yes, she knew what a screwdriver was, she just couldn't differentiate them by names, but just to ease the tension in the air she puffed out a breath before answering.

"The one that looks like pliers?"

At that, Robin did turn, his eyes automatically going to rest on hers as his eyebrows rose in his forehead. She saw in the way he was looking at her that he was about to throw a very sexist comment about women and tools so before he could do it, she handed him the correct one.

"It was a joke." She stated flatly, her eyes returning the stare off.

"Oh." He said before turning around once again and going back to what he has been doing, which was finishing up with the assembling of a bunk bed.

Narrowing her eyes because she took notice of how he was blatantly ignoring her question, Regina tilted her head a little, and just when she was about to ask again he spoke.

"You know you don't have to just sit there watching me work; you can go around the house… or outside. It's such a pretty day to be wasted indoors."

She could tell him right there that she knew what he was doing, that she could see right through him and that she knew he wanted her off his back about the Marian thing; but instead she just groaned and threw her head back.

"I was around the house and I even went outside but…" She puffed out a breath, remembering how she has wandered through the house and it's surroundings for the last few hours or so. "That kid, the little one? Well he made me sit down with him and he made me spend more than one hour coloring dinosaurs and whatnots."

Robin snorted and as he did, Regina couldn't help but to take notice of the way the muscles of his back and arms flexed with his efforts of assembling the furniture. She noticed even through his shirt.

Not that she meant to notice but he was there… doing his thing and well, he was on her direct line of vision.

"It was torture, I imagine."

Shaking her head not to let herself be distracted, Regina hummed. Now she wouldn't say it was torture per se but she had to admit that in a way, kids in general made her feel so… weird. They were too curious and lively and truth was that she never knew how to deal with them and this kid was no different.

"It was… bizarre. Luckily I was able to sneak out somewhere between his refill of cookies so I went outside to take a breath; but then your friend was out there and-" She stopped there, her eyes still set on his swift movements. "He kind of creeps me out so I decided to come back in and here I am."

Apparently done or suddenly interested in what she was saying, Robin turned fully towards her. "Will creeps you out? Did he said something to you?"

Her chin tilted up as her lips pursed. "Not that one, the other…. The big one."

Laughing a little, Robin patted the tip of his fingers to his lips. "Little John? But he's as harmless as a house ant."

Scrunching her nose as a soft gasp escaped her lips, Regina looked at him incredulously. Sure, despite his size, the man wasn't intimidating in a way were she believed he could harm her, but he was just…

"He hugged me." She finished saying as a reference to the moment when Robin introduced them. "And I don't like it when people touch me."

At her words, Robin bit lightly on his lips. "Do you actually like anything related to human emotion, besides pain and suffering, I mean?"

Twisting her lips, Regina rolled her eyes. "Ha, I get it, because I'm such a witch. How clever. So will you tell me who is Marian or not?"

Switching the hold of the screwdriver from one hand to the other, Robin dug into her eyes. He didn't even flinch, but she was going to assume that was because he has been kind of expecting the question.

"Not much of a tell to tale there."

"Perfect; that way it won't take long for you to tell it." Still, she sat over the one and only place to sit in that room, the lower part of the bed.

Watching her, Robin sighed somehow impatiently, but when she believed he was going to tell her to mind her own business, he put the screwdriver into the tool box and sat by her side.

"You are quite nosy for someone who doesn't share much."

Doing a double take, her eyebrow arched. "I don't share much? I told you everything about my marriage and I just don't share that with anyone. And when I say anyone I mean it."

His face turned and he settled his attention on her, the blue of his eyes roaming along her face before stopping in her own eyes. "You were drunk."

Chewing on her lips, she shifted her gaze. Yes, she has been drunk and then when all her senses were back to normal she retreated into herself; but she told him. "Still… I told you. And I was not that drunk."

"Yeah right, as if _the_ Regina Mills would ever let her walls tremble even if it was for a second while sober."

Not wanting to shift the attention to their somehow confusing last night in Capri, Regina turned so that she could face him.

While doing so, her leg brushed against his and for disconcerting second she just stared at him. But then as if he remembering herself she cleared her throat and said the first thing that came into her mind.

"Okay, let me guess about it then. This Marian is an old girlfriend of yours, a very important one but somehow things turned awfully bad. It went sour fast but she's still around and that's why you are so moody, because you are either not ever her or because she's a total bitch that just pisses you off."

"Is that what you gathered?" He snorted, refusing to look away while absentmindedly running a hand through his hair.

"Or she's just an old flame you still go back to every time you come over and you're pissed because I'm here and you won't be able to see her. Or better yet, _she_ is the one pissed off because you came here with a wife."

"Nosy and chatty, who are you?"

"Listen." She began to say to clarify things. "It's not like I'm overly excited to learn about your heartbreaks or hook ups, but if this is something that can represent a problem to what we are trying to do here, then it's fair that I get to know."

True, deep inside she wanted to know out of pure curiosity as well even though she wouldn't be caught admitting it. What she wasn't sure yet was why; they were not friends so it wasn't like she wanted to be a shoulder for him to cry on… she just wanted to know.

Or maybe it was her own wicked way of evening things between them, he knew something of her and now she could learn something from him.

"She's not going to be a problem, so if that's what worries you the relax. But since you are so morbidly curious-"

"I'm not."

"I'll tell you." He continued without letting her interruption stop him.

Pressing the tip of her tongue against the corner of her lips, Regina blinked expectantly.

"I was going to marry her long ago. But then she got pregnant with a child that ended up being someone else's and that's it. As you'll imagine, she's very well buried in the past so like I said, it's not going to be a problem. At least not from my part."

Perhaps a little bit dramatically, Regina sucked in a breath. She was not used to this kind of talk because she wasn't exactly known for being people friendly, but instead of feeling annoyed at other's problems she just sympathized. "Oh wow, and then they call me a bitch."

For some reason he laughed at that, making her appreciate the richness of the sound. "For the record, I've never called you a bitch. You are more than a little bitchy though."

"Hmm, I know. I'll own it." She replied huskily while the corner of her lip curled up. But she wanted to know more so she asked. "So is she the reason why you are so moody or is it because of me?"

He blinked one time then two times, his lips parting a little and curving into one of his infamous dimple smiles. "Why would I be moody because of you? I mean other than your obvious need to make me miserable?"

"I make you miserable?" She asked, for some reason getting caught a bit off guard by the answer. Yes she knew she was a hard pill to swallow and more often than not she rubbed people the wrong way. But was it so bad to make him miserable?

Leopold made her miserable so that was a big word right there.

He shrugged and for a few seconds he just stared at her. "Sometimes."

A bit annoyed by his answer, Regina straightened her posture. She could feel her face turning into her usual stoic mask and her stomach tying in a knot. "Okay then..."

"You're acting funny today. I mean you've never been the warmest person but this week you've been extremely cutting and now you're here, all chatty and stuff."

Lifting a hand in the air and then letting it fall with a slap to her lap, Regina scoffed. But then, instead of answering she just got to her feet and made as if to walk away.

Fine, if she was so bothersome and if she made him so miserable then she was going to go to the room to stay there and then she was going to never ever talk to him again.

But as if sensing her intentions he reached for her and grabbing her wrist he made her halt.

"Why don't we go outside? Like I said, the day is too pretty to be wasted indoors."

"No, you go. I don't want to bother you so I'm going to stay here… and make myself miserable instead of you."

Bursting out a laugh, Robin got to his feet as well. He did it without letting go of her. "Well look at that, I wouldn't have pegged you for the dramatic kind."

Pursing her lips and lifting her chin defiantly, Regina settled her eyes on him. "What can I say; I'm a box of surprises." Her tone, cutting and edging in being bitter, made him arch an eyebrow.

But she remained there, standing in the middle of the room with her wrist securely on his hand and feeling his eyes settle so deep into hers that she was sure he was trying to dig something out of them.

"You're right I was a bit moody."

"I don't care anymore." She cut in, pulling at her hand to get it free of his hold; but when he felt it starting to slip away he grabbed her by the waist instead to keep her in place.

She opened her mouth to protest the touch, but for some reason no word came out and she just stared at him dumbly.

"And that's partly because of her, yes, and partly because of you. The part involving her is nothing new. She calls sometimes, and last night she did. She found out about me getting married and well… she had an opinion over that. I wasn't happy about it, obviously and the whole exchange left a bitter taste in my mouth."

Regina blinked slowly. Without realizing it, she has begun to take a few steps back and for every one she took, he would take one forward. She ended up with her back to a wall and nowhere to go.

"The part involving you… well, it's not exactly something new either. I've been working long enough with you to know about your changing moods and how to stay clear out of them… but this week? You threw the ball out of the park and yes, it made me in is annoying because that's not how I want to spend my days. I know you don't particularly like me, but it would be great if for whatever time we do this, we at least try to get along, don't you think?"

She didn't exactly know how to reply to that so she just shrugged and tried to keep it simple. "I guess."

"Perfect, then let's go outside and see what everybody is doing."

"Okay."

Outside, what everybody was doing was apparently getting ready to play some games. There were Robin's two friends who apparently grew there as well, Little John and Will, there were some kids, the youngest being Peter and the oldest a teen called Felix and obviously, there was Granny.

Regina decided to sit with the older woman in the picnic table set in the garden and just watched the scene unfolding in there.

"They always make up the weirdest games. I only set one rule, no fighting. It's bound to happen every now and then but what can you do right? Boys are pesky little things. One on its own is sweet. Two are more likely to get in trouble, but more than three? That's a riot and a disaster waiting to happen if you let it be."

"You seem to manage just fine." Regina said, a genuine smile showing in her face.

"Tough love, that's what I have to do. Most of these kids come from troubled homes and situations so it's tricky. Will over there, he came to me when he was already ten. Wild as they would come and with a nasty attitude. He's good now but these white hairs? He gave them to me."

Regina looked at the man. He was laughing as a kid that couldn't be more than ten stumbled across the yard. They had made him swirl around at least a dozen times before putting him up into kicking a ball into a football goal post. He fell before even getting to the ball.

"Robin came as a baby. I don't get much of those, at least not so little. He wasn't even a month old when the mother left him on a police station with a note saying she couldn't take care of him. He was a sweet kid but that didn't mean he didn't get in trouble because he did and quite a lot."

"Really?" She asked, looking at the man in question and wondering how could a mother leave a baby like that.

Not that it surprised her, after all didn't her own mother basically sold her out at eighteen to a man that could very well be her own father?

"He was a happy kid and turned out into a great man, you got a good one in there. But if he ever gives you trouble just send him my way and I'll fix him for you."

"I think I can handle him but I'll keep that in mind." She replied in the most amicable tone she could muster, trying to keep with the farce.

"You know, at the risk of coming off as al old sappy lady, I'll say this. I'm really glad he found someone to love again, and someone who will keep him out of reach from Marian the bitch." Stopping there for a second, Granny laughed. "Oh I hope I get to see her face when she sees you because trust me, when you least expect her she'll come to see you for herself."

"You think so?" She asked out of curiosity because yes, Robin said the woman was buried in his past and yet when she called he answered, and now according to Granny she was still around.

"I'm sure."

"Hey, Regina."

Lifting her face in time to see Little John approach, the dark haired blinked slowly, not really sure about what business would the man want with her. "Will and I were wondering if tonight we could steal Robin for a few hours. I mean since he never got the bachelor party we though…"

"Of course you can't!" Granny burst out. "You think you can take a man out of his wife's bed just so you can make him drink silly?"

"No, no." He hurried to say to Granny. "It will be just a few hours, I promise to have him back before ten."

"Tsk!"

"It's okay, I don't mind." Regina said, thinking that the less they had to share a bed the better. She wouldn't even mind if he came by the time she was asleep.

"I don't get this new marriages, so liberal."

Smiling, Little John turned and showed a thumbs up to the two men back in the yard and she snorted at the absurdity of them asking her permission to take Robin out.

"Anyway, Granny. Um, it's your turn."

"Good Lord, I'm too old for this." Groaning, the woman got to her feet and with a roll of her eyes she let a couple of kids drag her to where Robin and Will were standing.

Regina just watched as they did the same to her, swirling her around for more than a couple of times. Only that instead of making her kick a ball they gave her a bat and threw a baseball ball her way. She didn't hit it.

Unable to help it, she smiled, wrinkling her nose as the kids cheered for the old lady. But then when she saw Robin walk her way with a sheepish smile on his face, her smiled faded and she shook her head no.

"It's tradition." He said once he reached her.

"No way."

Not even minding her negative response, Robin grabbed her hand and made her stand up. "Come on, I don't want to drag you in front of all these people. And if I were you I would take off the… what is it what you called them, booties?"

"Are you serious?" She hissed, thinking that there was no way she would go barefoot in the dirt. "I'm not taking off my shoes."

"It's your choice."

Once they made it to where Will was, she groaned.

"Ready, babe?"

Fighting hard against the urge of sending his way a glare to kill, Regina just pursed her lips and watched as the kids cheered loudly. "I'll kill you for this." She hissed so only he could hear it.

"Yeah I love you too." He said out loud and without any more preambles he started to swirl her around.

She wasn't sure how many times he did it but it made her kind of dizzy, and when he let go of her she lost a bit of balance. He got her though, grabbing her hips to steady her.

"Give her the bat."

Before she even knew what was happening, Will gave her the bat and she grabbed it out of instinct.

"Have you ever hit a baseball?"

The one who spoke was Robin, talking so low his voice came a bit throaty. He has still to her back, grabbing her steady against him.

"Can't say that I have." She replied, half wondering why he was so close and half glad, because she still felt her entire world spinning and she was sure that if he let go of her she could very well end up flat down on her ass.

"Okay. Just…" He lifted the bat, placing her hands between them along the piece of wood. "Hold it firm but without strangling it."

Regina licked her lips, doing as he said.

"Now when the ball comes just make sure to swing, hip first, and then arms." To show her, he slid one of his hands to her hip and then he made her swing. "Got it?"

Nodding, she felt his hand go back to the bat, but he was so close that she didn't even know what she was agreeing to. She wasn't even sure what was happening.

Then before she could ask him what was he doing, one of the boys threw the ball and she squinted her eyes. She didn't have to do much because Robin swung the bat in such a way that it hit the ball.

The impact made her gasp out loud and then laugh at her own silly reaction, but if she had to be honest she would have to admit that she was more disconcerted by the way he was holding her.

"Yay!" The little boy called Peter cheered as he ran to them, then without giving her time to react he went to hug her waist. "You hit it!"

Robin laughed in her ear and turning her face to his, she smiled. He was close, so close she could feel his breath on her face and so close she could kiss him right there if she really wanted to.

It would be easy, she just needed to move a few inches into him and then her mouth would be on his. Or it could be the other way around, he could be the one kissing her and would that really be that bad?

Judging by what she could see in his eyes she would say that no, that it wouldn't be bad and that he wouldn't object to it.

"Are you going to kiss me?" She asked out of the blue and he snorted. She didn't mean to be so direct but she really needed to know.

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

"I don't know, I guess it could fit into the narrative."

"I would say so."

Blinking his eyes close, Robin pressed his mouth to hers. It was a contact no different than the two previous ones, but for some reason this one made her feel like her entire face was burning.

Maybe it was the way he was still holding her so very close or maybe just the fact that this kiss wasn't forced on them, it just happened naturally even though it served a purpose.

It was definitely something she wouldn't have pushed for back in London, but being there somehow made her lower her shield.

"And the witch is on her broomstick."

Pulling from the contact at Will's comment, Robin's face lifted up and so did hers. The first thing she noticed was Granny walking towards a woman who was standing in the distance, it made Robin tense against her and she automatically knew what was happening, Marian was there.

"Is that her?"

Sighing deeply, Robin finally let go of her. "Yeah, that's her."

"I thought you said she wasn't going to be a problem."

"She won't."

Regina didn't say anything more about it and when Granny came back after sending the woman away neither did anyone there.

The rest of the day went more on the same line, the boys played as she remained out breathing into the fresh air of the woods while wondering why she basically asked Robin to kiss her and why it has bothered to see Marian there, but then when it was getting late Granny called everyone inside to wash up and eat and being surrounded by everyone made her lose focus.

She was used to eating alone so being in a table of twelve, seven of them children was a little overwhelming.

So she ate, but she did that in relative silence, only answering when directly spoken to her and forcing a smile until the muscles in her face ached.

When nightfall fell and Robin went out with his friends she remained in bed, feeling somehow uneasy but without really knowing why.

It wasn't until she woke up a little after eleven o'clock with Robin nowhere to be found that she realized that he was probably somewhere out with Marian.

Not that she should care, she herself told him he could go on with his affairs as he pleased as long as he maintained a low profile.

But still, it bothered her a little.

"Because he's not being discreet." She tried to reason with herself. And he really wasn't, because she was sure both his friends knew and soon so would Granny and yeah, she was going to be looked as the poor fool who sent her husband into the arms of another woman just a week after marrying to him.

Biting on her lips a bit too hard, Regina grabbed for her phone and after some consideration she decided to text him.

"_Remember, be discreet."_

The two checkmarks on the app turned blue in less than five minutes, she knew because she waited to see the message being read.

He started typing back but after a few seconds he stopped, and then he went offline.

Scoffing, Regina turned off the phone and tried to rest. She didn't sleep, and even if she wasn't aware that she was doing it she waited until he showed up less than forty minutes later.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes**: Thanks so much for the great reviews, you are the best. As for the chapter, I wrote the last part of it half asleep so I hope it doesn't completely suck. Let me know what you think.

**THE PRETENDER**

As soon as she heard him walk into the bedroom and then the door squeak loudly as it closed on its hinges, Regina fluttered her eyes tight shut and tried to give the impression that she was sleeping.

She did that in vain, because instead of making it into the bed as she has been dreadfully anticipating him to do, what Robin did was go directly into the bathroom.

She was glad he did that, because that gave her time to sprawl even more across the bed so when the time came for him to finally go to sleep, he would have no choice than to use the floor once again.

Yes, the floor; because he was very mistaken if he really believed she was going to share a bed so small like the one in his old bedroom after he did only God knew what with that Marian. It would be disgusting for her to allow him to do that so no, no matter that he was in that moment taking a shower, she was not going to yield in that aspect.

He could talk in circles all night long about how that was technically his bed and she wasn't going to care even the slightest bit, because he plain and simply wasn't going to sleep in the same space as her.

Not after he has been up and about with his ex.

Not that she cared, but… no, just no, no sharing.

With her mind set into the fact that they were probably going to end up arguing about their sleeping accommodations, the brunette covered her head with a pillow and tried hard to fall asleep, thinking that if she managed to succumb into Morpheus arms then a confrontation could be evaded; but the only thing she achieved was to get caught in the sepulchral silence reigning all over the room.

Yes, she could hear the shower running and after a while shutting off, but after that there was nothing… just silence, the beating of her own heart and nothing more.

At least until a peculiar sound came to echo all around at the same time that he cussed.

"Fucking shit."

Opening her eyes and sitting over the bed as soon as she heard the small commotion, Regina tilted her head and looked at the bathroom door.

It was open with Robin obviously inside but the lights were turned off. In fact, they have been turned off ever since he got there.

'Whatever he is doing there is not your problem.' She thought to herself as she laid down once again, but as soon as her head touched the pillow she remembered how she has left her make-up bag over the sink and how the small disturbance sounded as if a bunch of small objects just fell all across the floor.

Small objects, a lot of them… probably as many as there were on her bag.

Climbing out of bed and heading straight into the bathroom, Regina turned on the light just in time to catch Robin red handed, crouching down and apparently trying to fix the damage done.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She asked as he tried to shield his eyes from the light. The brightness bothered her as well, but she was more occupied watching in horror as the the small glass bottle of her foundation shattered and spilled the liquid all over. There were other things on the floor as well, but those seemed to be in good condition.

"What did you do?" She hissed.

"It fell… I didn't do anything."

Annoyed but unable to stop her eyes from drinking on the sight of him, shirtless, his grey sweatpants riding low on his hips and his hair still wet from the shower, Regina groaned.

"Seriously, Robin. Do you have any idea how much that costs?"

Blinking a couple of times and smiling sheepishly, the blue eyed man shrugged. "Well it wasn't that big to begin with so I would venture to say that not much?"

"Ugh, just… move." She ordered while crouching down as well so that she could grab all her things and put them where they belonged.

He tried to help too, but every time he grabbed something she snatched it from his hands to put them in her make-up bag herself.

When she was done, she got to her feet, watching out of the corner of her eye that he was also standing up so in an attempt to break the awkward silence she said the first thing that came into her mind.

"Going into the bathroom with the lights turned off, what were you thinking?"

Placing a hand to his hip and then doing a weird gesture with the other one, Robin cleared his throat. "I was trying not to wake you up."

Regina bit hard into the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her eyes on his face and not in the obscene way his chest and toned stomach were on full display. It was hard to as she was curious, because as it seemed Robin was keeping hidden quite a nice physique.

"Well you ended up waking me up and making a mess in here so yeah, good job there, genius."

Parting his lips in a way that his front teeth were showing and acting as if he was going to refute her words, Robin snorted, eyeing her from her to toe. "Why are you tiny?"

For more than a couple of seconds, Regina just stared at him, watching as he smiled down on her in satisfaction, his dimples on full display and his eyes shining in amusement.

"Are you drunk?" She asked severely because that was the last thing she needed.

"No. I'm not... I'm bloody British and we don't get drunk."

"Oh my God I can't believe this." With that said, Regina swirled on her bare feet and walked to bed.

Then, in the same fashion she has been doing when he walked in, she laid down across the full mattress, giving him no space to climb into.

Drunk Robin… she couldn't believe it… as she couldn't believe when she felt him slide into the bed, moving her aside as if she weighed nothing.

"Hey, you can't do that." She complained while rolling to her side to face him.

He was on his back, an arm thrown over his eyes and yes, very much shirtless.

"Get off."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor, Regina. Last time you almost killed me. Broke my lip and all that."

Scoffing and in a way thankful that he didn't mention the other part of the incident, Regina tried to push him off the bed. It was in vain though, as she was unable to move him, not even an inch.

"You know that's not nice, I though we agreed to get along." He said, but he did it without even opening his eyes.

"Getting along doesn't equal we have to share a bed. Especially with you drunk and with… God knows what nasty germs all over you. Eww."

"Germs, what the fuck, Regina? God you're impossible." He mumbled another thing she couldn't quite comprehend and then rolled to his side, showing his back to her as he apparently prepared to sleep.

"Robin, I'm serious. You can't come and expect to share a bed with anyone if you were just with a woman. It's disgusting and plain disrespectful."

"Wait… what?" He rolled back, this time to his other side so that they ended up facing each other. "What woman is this you're talking about?"

Because he has left the bathroom light on, Regina could see him in the chiaroscuro of the bedroom; see his eyes set on hers and see the way his light stubble covered the strong outline of his jaw.

"What woman?" She mimicked him with a roll of her eyes. "You know I'm talking about Marian."

"Tsk. You think I was with Marian? Is that why you sent that cryptic little text?"

Not wanting to make it look as if she was making a big deal out of something small, the brown eyed drew in a deep breath.

"Listen, I don't mind or even care about what you do with your… personal affairs; I just ask, as it is in the contract, for you to be discreet about it. I don't want people talking and speculating so as long as this last I need us to play pretend we are happy and in love."

Running his tongue over his lips, Robin blinked slowly. "Okay."

"And please, if you do get with someone don't even get in the same bed as me afterwards."

Robin chuckled, the sound so mellow she could drown in it. "I was not with Marian, or with any other woman so relax, these germs that I have are all mine."

Furrowing her brow, she grimaced. "That last part didn't sound good, like at all."

His eyes lowered and she followed the movement of his eyelashes, watching as they created a soft shadow on his cheeks.

"What happened to your stable boy?"

The question took her unaware so she blinked the surprise away. It took her almost a minute to be able to respond.

"I don't know, he left as soon as Mary Margaret told on us."

Looking at her in the eye, Robin nodded while twisting his lips. "He left you on your own."

More than a question, what Robin said was a statement.

"That was hardly the worse thing that ever happened to me so it's not like it matters."

"But you were in love with him."

"I was, or at least I thought I was. I don't know anymore."

Not really knowing why she was confiding those things to him, Regina bit on her lips and looked away from his inquiring eyes.

"You know, it's hard to picture you like that, young and in love."

Knowing what he meant because she has banished those memories from her mind so that she couldn't remember herself, she shrugged. "Why, I'm human like everyone else. I feel and suffer and all that… trivial stuff, whether you believe it or not."

"I know, still a hard picture to imagine. I mean with you acting so stern all the time and keeping people at a distance."

"I do that on purpose, I don't like dealing with most people."

"Don't you get tired of it, or lonely?"

"Well aren't you quite chatty tonight, what's with all the questions?"

Moving a hand to her face and brushing her hair behind her ear, Robin smiled. "I'm curious. I mean I've been working in that company for more than three years, two of them side to side with you and never before this past week have I ever get to see right past those thick walls of yours."

Unable to help it, Regina smiled as well. She didn't know why she did it because the conversation was anything but cute and cheerful. "So you're a curious drunk?"

His eyes danced over her face. "I'm not drunk."

"Hmm."

"You're gorgeous, you know that." He began to say as her eyes widened a little and her heart did a summersault inside her chest. It was silly, but that was the last thing she expected him to say. "I've seen every man you work with or do business with try to get your attention, some women too. They've even asked me directly about you, from the most powerful to the simple employee and all of them you look over your shoulder. At first I was sure it was because there was someone so the rest didn't interest you, but… that wasn't the case. You just… isolated yourself."

"Keeping myself in a distance works for me just fine."

"Don't you miss it? Having someone…"

"You mean sex?" She blurted out in a chuckle. "I'm not a nun, Robin, so it's not like I've kept myself completely isolated all these years."

"So there is someone." He stated.

Scoffing, Regina shook her head no. "There has been, just nothing serious… and not in a while." A long while if you asked her. "I don't do relationships."

"Just so you know, I wasn't talking about sex. I meant just this, having someone to talk to…"

"That sounds like a relationship and I told you I don't do that so in a way, no I don't miss it, because you can't miss something you never had. With Daniel it was always hiding and sneaking so there wasn't even time to cuddle and talk afterwards, and the rest were just… fleeting things." She stopped there, letting her eyes roam along his face. Then, in an attempt to change the subject she snorted. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"Come here." He said, circling her waist with one of his arms, that way he pulled her closer, so close she ended up half resting over him.

"What are you doing?" She breathed out as the palm of her hand came to rest over his bare chest.

"Just shut up and cuddle, that way you'll know what your missing. Now go to sleep."

As soon as he said that, Robin closed his eyes and just like that he went to sleep. It left Regina unsure of what to do.

It was only when she felt his breathing become more relaxed that she allowed her face to rest over his chest and she just laid there, her heartbeat synching with his and their breathing synchronizing.

She couldn't sleep though and after some consideration she opened her mouth.

"People can't really sleep like this, I mean seriously? It's uncomfortable as hell."

After saying that, she meant to pull away from him, only that instead of letting her move too far he put his hand to the back of her head and forced her face to descend into his.

He did it as if it was the most natural thing in the world, his mouth getting a hold of hers while she just… let him.

Closing her eyes, Regina felt how his lips gave hers a light nudge to make them part, and when she dumbly did a small shiver ran down her spine; it was basically nothing, but by providing that opening space she basically gave access so that his tongue could brush hers…

It was a quick movement that was over before it could really begin, because as if he was remembering himself, he pulled apart immediately.

'I'm sorry I, I think… no, I wasn't thinking, just go to sleep." With that said, he disentangled himself from her and turning around so that his back was to her once again, he fell asleep.

Regina just remained there, confused and a little lost. Needless to say, she didn't get so much sleep that night and when she was finally able to drift off, the sun was already waking up.

Little did she know that even if it was just a brief kiss, the moment they just shared was going to change the dynamic of their whole relationship.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes**: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. This one is going to be a short update, but just because it was made in a rush before I have to go out of town for a quick getaway trip. I wanted to leave something until I come back so maybe it isn't much. Promise next one will be better and more substantial. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

**THE WAKE UP CALL**

Feeling slightly disoriented as she made a failed attempt to blink her eyes open, Regina Mills stirred in her sleep. As she did so, she emitted a low humming sound that felt like it was torn out of the back of her throat while she slowly started to crawl out of the tranquil state of sleep she has been submerged into until a second ago.

Waking up was gradual, as it always was for her, first she opened her coffee colored eyes to slits before fluttering them back shut when the light of a new morning hit her pupils. It was only then, that the rest of her limbs started to function.

Her left arm was the first to move, extending forward so that the palm of her hand could run over the smooth surface on which it lay. It felt strange and nothing like the soft cotton fabric of her bedsheets, but because she found the warmness of it to feel nice underneath the touch of her fingertips, she let her hand roam freely.

It was like that, simultaneously, that she did the same with her leg, bending it in a way that her knee pushed forward while her ankle pulled back. It was comfortable… maybe even cozy, especially when she allowed her thigh to slowly slide over one of her pillows.

Sighing loudly and breathing into the intriguing scent swirling around her nose, the dark-haired woman curled up until she was comfortable enough. She was feeling pleasantly warm and despite being half asleep she couldn't help but to understand that it was a rare occurrence that she found the perfect spot without turning and tossing too much so she wanted to make the best of it.

That's why she snuggled, her breathing calm and steady, her nose burying deeper into her pillow and her fingers running lazy circles over her bedsheets. Then when she was sure she could easily fall asleep again if she just remained like that, what she has believed to be the mattress of the bed where she lay rose the sightless bit as she rested over it and then fell.

Deming that odd, her lips pouted and she hummed, moving her hand slightly around. In her still fuzzy mind unable to recognize the contours of the collarbone her fingers were tracing and then the exposed chest and stomach as her hand moved down.

She just knew that it felt nice under the pad of her fingers, smooth and yet hard… but then as if in cue a soft groan that most definitely didn't come from her came to disrupt the silence taking over the bedroom and suddenly, she felt as if someone threw a bucket of cold water over her.

Opening her eyes at once and her hand freezing on the spot, Regina felt her entire body tense as she held her breath. It took her ten full seconds so she could truly internalize what was going on, and when things downed on her, her heart skipped a beat to then start beating hard and fast into her chest.

It was like this, now that she was fully awake she realized that she wasn't resting fully over the mattress; no… she was basically laying face down, half her body on top of the solid frame of what she assumed was Robin's body while her thigh covered suggestively his own leg. Not only that, but as her vision started to clear off she also found out that her face was nuzzled into the crook of his neck and that what she has been running her fingers against was his chest… well currently his stomach because she could see her hand just resting way too low, right between his navel and the edge of his sweatpants.

Jerking her hand away in a mixture of shock and embarrassment, Regina quickly disentangled herself from the man and pushed herself away. She did it fast, actually she did it in such a rush that when she reached the edge of the bed, she was unable to hold herself onto anything and she just rolled out of the mattress, falling straight into the floor with a thud and a strangled gasp she was sure was heard all the way to London.

Parting her lips to let a breath puff out of her mouth as a dull pain where she hit her head against the floor began to throb, Regina covered her face with both hands while wondering what she has ever done to deserve such a cruel treatment in life. Yes, she knew she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around but she was sure that she wasn't a bad person per see.

And yet, there she was… laying flat on her back, one knee pointing to the ceiling as her foot rested on the floor. It was ridiculous, but she just fell out of bed and what was worse, with a witness to add salt to the injury.

"You okay?"

Now, Regina didn't need to take a look at Robin to know he was smiling down on her. She could feel the amusement on his voice, so thick he was probably smirking as he peeked at her from his privilege spot on the bed.

"I'm fine." She rasped out, her hands still in place.

"Are you sure you didn't hurt anything, perhaps your pride?"

Dragging her hands down to her neck and allowing herself to look at him through heavy lidded eyes, Regina snarled her lips. "Shut up."

Yes, she knew she must be quite sight down there, hair all over and eyes blazing, but she wasn't going to let his mocking smile get the best of her.

Using the edge of his upper teeth to bite down on his lips, Robin extended a hand towards her. She knew she should just slap it away and simply refuse the help, but for reason she couldn't comprehend she reached for it and when he pulled at her she allowed herself to climb into bed again.

"Not so comfortable, is it? I mean the floor." Robin asked while going back to his side. He didn't lay down though, he just sat and as she eyed him over she realized that he was still sporting the same easy smile he had when she fell.

She also noticed the sparkle on his eyes as he studied her face, how his morning hair went in all directions and yes, that he was very much shirtless; meaning that she has been basically feeling him up flesh to flesh.

The question was, has he been asleep as she did that?

Somehow thinking that the answer to that was a big no, Regina felt a blush creep down her face and going all the way to her chest.

Now she didn't consider herself to be the type of person who hid and cowered when facing a hard situation as she was most likely to address those things with a roll of her eyes and whatever snarky comment would come into her mind, but in that morning, the knowledge that he has been just there, letting her touch him and cuddle against him in her sleep made her want crawl under the blankets and stay there forever.

She didn't, obviously, instead she set her jaw firm, grabbed for the pillow and swinging it at him, she hit the side of his face.

"I told you to wake me up if I did something weird!"

Blinking rapidly for several times and then parting his lips as if to say something, Robin set his eyes on hers. They were still sparkling and seeing how his stupid smile was still corrupting his mouth, she hit him again with the pillow.

"Seriously, Regina?" And still, the amusement in his eyes and smile wouldn't leave.

Groaning and not even caring how she lost her temper right there or that she externalized it in the most silly way, she threw the pillow away and then going up to her feet, she pointed a finger at him. "I hate you."

With that said, she walked into the bathroom with all the grace and poise she could still find in her. Once there she proceeded to splash water to her face and then to furiously brush her teeth. She did that with her eyes glued to her image through the mirror…corroborating that she has indeed been blushing.

What she wasn't sure was if it was out of embarrassment or anger.

Closing her eyes for a few seconds and biting hard into her toothbrush as a way to appease her frustration, the brunette sighed. Then when she opened her eyes and began to rinse, she saw through the same mirror that Robin was walking into the bathroom.

He walked in smugly and with his eyes set on hers. He said nothing though and just went to grab for his toothbrush to wash his mouth as well.

"Can't you see I'm using the bathroom?" She asked once she was finished. And really, she needed to attend other business that couldn't be dealt while he was there.

"Door was open." He mumbled, brushing his teeth.

Taking in a breath that was supposed to calm her, she wrinkled her nose. It was okay, she could wait until he was finished without loosing her temper again… but as he started rinsing she saw the broken bottle of her concealer and some of the already dried liquid plastered on the floor and she was mad again.

Not that she was going to act on it, so she just grabbed her makeup bag and did a quick check up. It was then that she saw that her eye shadow was cracked inside the pallet.

Sighing and reaching for it, she snarled her lips. "So you broke this as well… great, just great." Once in her hand, she shook it a bit dramatically.

She did it just to show it to him, but somehow, someway, what she did was manage to throw some of the eyeshadow made into powder in his face… well, more specifically into his eyes.

Gasping and blinking his eyes closed, his face jerked to the side and his hand automatically went to rub his shut eyelids. "For fucks sake, woman." He complained before groaning low on his throat.

Cringing, Regina put the pallet down and went to check the damage done. She did it awkwardly, nearing her hands to his face and then letting them fall to his side before she could even touch him.

"Just… pour water on them. Don't be such a cry baby."

As if to show him and much to her mortification, she used the still open faucet to gather some water into her palms and then she splashed it into his face. She did it a few times, using her thumbs to rub his still closed eyes until he little by little started to open his eyes to slits.

"See, it's not a big deal."

Scoffing and placing his hands over his hips, Robin licked his lips. He did it slowly while eyeing her down and for reasons she couldn't quite comprehend, her mind started to have a few thoughts that in nothing had to do with the situation at hand.

The first of those thoughts was that as he stood there, blocking the door, that his sweatpants were still riding way to low. It was distracting.

Then, to follow on the same train of thinking she couldn't help but to remember how it felt to touch the exposed flesh and how nice he smelled… then, there was the kiss he gave her the night before and all of a sudden she was feeling a little lost.

"Not a big deal? You almost blinded me. You know, I keep adding up the things you keep doing to me and… and I have concluded that you want to kill me indeed."

"Oh come on, don't be ridiculous."

"Just so you know, I don't have much on my name other than a flat in London and a dubious bank account so it's not like you'll inherit more than crap. I mean compared to what you have."

"I don't want to kill you, okay?" She snapped, a bit annoyed. "You dying would be an inconvenience, actually."

Arching an eyebrow, Robin dragged his hand over his mouth. "I know, pesky funerals right?"

With a shrug and a swirl of her wrist in the air, Regina rolled her eyes. "And then I'll have to find another husband and who has time for that?"

Shifting the weight of his frame to his right leg, he scoffed. "Well I've heard third time's the charm so who knows."

"I think I'll take my chances with you." Having to find a third husband would only slow down the process of getting her citizenship and wasting time wasn't something she could afford.

At her words, he slightly opened his mouth, his tongue peeking out a little to moisten his lips. "You're an awkward person. Did you know that?"

Widening her eyes a little and then twisting her lips, Regina lifted her shoulders and then let them drop. It was a first time she was called awkward so she really didn't know what to say.

Not like he has expected an answer, because as soon as the statement was out he went ahead and fired another question.

"So are you sure that thing you threw in my eyes wasn't retaliation for what happened back there?"

Suddenly remembering why she has been so mad, the brown-eyed puffed out a breath. "I told you to wake me up if I ever did something weird."

Narrowing his eyes, Robin did a double take, his head tipping to the side. Then as if he understood what she was talking about he smiled. "Oh. Well if you're talking about how you like to cuddle, I didn't think that was weird. I mean it was definitely better than having you kick and toss all over so because I wanted to be able to actually sleep I just let you. There was no harm on it and it wasn't like you were stripping."

Sticking her lips out and remembering that unfortunate incident, Regina began to see why he thought she was awkward.

"But I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about the kiss."

Getting caught off guard by the comment, Regina swallowed on dry and brushing her hair behind her ear, she blinked. "You were drunk, it was nothing."

"I wasn't drunk. I mean perhaps I did have a bit too much to drink but not enough to be drunk."

Not really caring to talk about something she hasn't come to terms with yet, Regina lifted a hand to make him stop talking. "It doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned it didn't happen."

Robin shifted again and she was even more aware now on the way he was blocking the door.

"Alright, it didn't happen then. But just to clear the air between us and to honor the getting along thing we agreed to, I want to pinpoint that I wasn't trying anything. I wasn't exactly thinking… I had a rough night and…" He shrugged, taking in a deep breath.

"It's okay." She said feeling uncomfortable while using her fingernails to scratch down her neck.

"I don't want you to think I had some ulterior motives behind it." He sighed. "I mean you are a very attractive woman but it's not like I meant to make something out of this… whatever it is we're doing."

"Robin." She hissed in a warning so he would just stop talking, but before she could continue, there was a knock on the door.

"I hope you two lovebirds are presentable because I'm going in."

Recognizing the voice as Granny's, Regina hesitated for a second on what to do, but then after deciding how to proceed she pushed Robin out of the way and motioned him to follow her back to bed. He did, climbing after her as she covered them both with the quilt.

By the time the woman came in, carrying a tray with food they were in position, Robin behind her with an arm thrown casually over her hip as her head buried into the pillow.

"Good morning." The older woman began to say as she set the tray down. "Figured that since you two are still on honeymoon mode than breakfast in bed before you went back to London was a good idea."

"It's lovely, thanks." Regina tried to say as sweetly as she could. It was hard though, because after the weird conversation she had with Robin, having him spooning her from behind was making her feel way too self-conscious.

Her ass was basically pressed to him and with Granny there she didn't think it would be a good idea to pull away.

"You shouldn't have, we were about to go down." Robin added.

"Nonsense. You two stay here and just… use the baby maker."

"The what?" She asked a bit dry as Robin's fingers slid to her stomach to keep her still.

"The baby maker." She repeated while reaching for the quilt covering them. "This has been in my family for generations and we like to think it has magical powers when it comes to keeping the bloodline alive. I used it as my mother did before me and her mother before her. We all know Ruby won't be using it so I put it here for you. I know we are not blood related but… we were all blessed with strong healthy babies so maybe you'll end up conceiving here."

"What the hell, Granny?" Robin burst out, pulling himself a bit away from Regina.

"Hey, watch your language, young man. Don't you forget I can smack that mouth even if your wife is here. Now eat and… procreate."

With that said, she smiled and walked out.

"Oh my God, get that thing away." Regina whimpered as she jumped to her feet. "That's… God I'm sure using that thing is anti-hygienic." A shiver ran down her spine and she shook herself. "I need a shower."

"What, not the kind of germs you want to swap?"

Turning her head to him, she eyed him severely. The little comment made her grind her teeth, still, she said nothing and instead swirled on her feet to make it into the bathroom.

She didn't know what was with that place and… well, with her or with him for that matter but she couldn't wait to get back to London and see if maybe, a sense of normalcy would go back into her life.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**THE PARTY**

"I'm not doing it. I want to go back home."

Letting her own words resonate through the enclosed space of the vehicle she was currently sitting in, the black-haired woman known as Regina Mills shook her head no absentmindedly, the gesture inadvertently giving even more strength to the words that just rolled out of her mouth.

Not like she needed the backup to let Robin know that she meant what she said, because the tone she used, resounding and final as her chin petulantly lifted up was enough of a statement for him to go by.

She just wasn't going in.

Shifting on the driver's seat so that he could face her, Robin used the tip of his tongue to push against the edge of his teeth. "Wait… hold it there, what do you mean with the _I want to go back home?_"

At the question he shot back, the corner of Regina's lip curled up and she sent him a quizzical glance. She knew she has been clear enough so she didn't get what part of what she said he was unable to grasp. "What part of it didn't you understand? I want to go home."

It was simple, she didn't want to go in and she wasn't going to. It didn't matter how bad her absence would look and she didn't care what would Mary Margaret think. She just plain and simply wasn't going in there.

Snorting as his left hand reached his face so that he could lightly scratch his nose, Robin pressed the keyless ignition button to kill the engine and blinked slowly. "Well let me see. I think the part I didn't quite understand was how come you've been on my arse all week long about this party, telling me not to make plans over it, harassing me with the specifics of what to wear and what to say and all that nonsense just so we would reach the parking and then… leave?"

Lifting her shoulders a little and then letting them drop, Regina set her eyes straight ahead. "Yes."

He hummed. "Just like that, no reason whatsoever. I don't get it. I was pretty sure you were looking forward for this."

Now sure, all of what he said was nothing but true because ever since the invitation to Mary Margaret's twenty-five birthday celebration arrived to her office, she has been making plans for it. From how she wanted her and Robin to arrive looking fabulously as the happy newlyweds they wanted to portray to how she wanted to let her stepdaughter know in a very passive-aggressive manner that she knew how she has sent her lackey to spy on her during her fake honeymoon

She even knew the mannerism she was going to use and the words that were going to said, so yes, that he was at a loss about why she wanted to cancel was understandable.

Still, she didn't like him questioning her motives.

Now yes, for the past week or so, the two of them have come to an understanding of each other that more often than not made it easier for them to co-exist. They didn't bicker as much and in a strange kind of way she could even say they were getting along much better; but that they could sit at dinner and eat in harmony or that they could ride back and forth in a car together and even engage in light conversation didn't mean they were friends. Nor did it mean that she felt like she needed to let him into the complicated labyrinth that was her mind.

Her reasons for not wanting to get into the party were her own and she didn't feel like sharing. So with that in mind, she licked her lips, tilted her face his way and fixed her gaze into the blue stare of his eyes.

"I don't need a reason. I'm a woman and that gives me the privilege of changing my mind whenever I want to without having a reason. I just… I don't want to go."

Robin's eyes narrowed the slightest bit as he stared at her intently. She knew what he was doing, he was trying to look right into her and not wanting to let him get anything out of her that she wasn't willing to give, she looked away.

"You, Regina Mills, have such an awful poker face. You can talk your talk and turn into full bitchy mode all you want to, but that face gives up so much. So come on, spit it out. What is it?"

Clenching her jaw and shaking her head no once again, Regina swallowed on dry. She didn't want to say it, but at the same time there was a pressure building right in the middle of her chest that was about to burst.

It was growing with each passing second and deep inside she knew that if she kept it locked there, it was going to become incontrollable. That only meant that she could keep it to herself and poison her own damn body with it once the pressure gave in, or she could voice it all out and just… try to let it go.

"I didn't know… that the party was going to be here." Her words came out steady and firm, but still, she said them without looking at him.

She didn't want him to see how much it was actually affecting her or how much it bothered her, but the truth was that as soon as she realized Mary Margaret was doing her party at Leopold's old mansion, her entire resolution to make the night turn in her favor crumbled to the ground.

She didn't even know how to explain it. It just felt like she started to malfunction as soon as realization of where she was going to hit her. Her stomach tied in a knot, her heart started beating too fast, her muscles clenched and she was pretty much sure that if she lifted her hands and stared closely at them, she would see how they slightly trembled. It was all awful and she didn't know how to deal with it other than just bolting out.

But because she didn't want Robin to know all that, she snarled her lips and rolled her eyes as if having to go there was just something that annoyer her. "I bet the little bitch did it just to irk me."

And really, it couldn't be such a coincidence that now that she was officially inheriting her part of the company and that she could finally go toe to toe against her, that Mary Margaret was using the house where she has been so miserable to throw her stupid party.

She wanted to destabilized her, to make her see she wasn't as bland as people liked to believe… and much to her shame, she had to admit that she did… she managed to perturb her.

"Regina." Robin began to say as he reached for her chin with two of his fingers. Once her face was on his grasp, he made her head move in his direction.

She let him do that, half expecting to be greeted with a mocking smile because really, during their short marriage the man has developed a thing for teasing her for the simplest and most ridiculous of things and this gave for a lot of material to cut. After all who would have thought that a simple structure was enough to make the always impetuous Regina Mills shake where she sat.

But there nothing mocking in him, there was not even a trace of amusement in his face. He just looked at her, the same intensity of his eyes as before boring deep into her.

"If you want to go fine, we'll go. But if irking you is what they want, wouldn't leaving like this be pretty much giving them a win?"

At his words, Regina opened her mouth to tell him that she didn't care and that they could think whatever they wanted to think… but then a voice inside of her told her that she did care; that maybe she didn't now but later on the knowledge that the girl got an upper hand on her would gnaw brutally at her brain and that was something she couldn't let happen.

"You are ahead of this. I mean the deal you made in Milan put the company on a whole new level so you're several steps ahead of the game in that aspect; your citizenship papers are on the table… you're looking gorgeous, your husband isn't looking so shabby himself so do you really want to start backtracking now?"

Leaving her lips partially open so that she could blow out a breath, Regina shook her head no, her eyes still locked on his.

It was soothing, the low undertones of his voice and the way he was looking at her, but she didn't know if it was because he was the only person in the world she has confessed part of the horrors she lived in that house or simply because he was there, reassuring her in a moment when she really needed it.

"Then let's do it. Walk in there like you own the place and show her who's the boss."

Unable to help it, Regina rolled her eyes as a throaty chuckle escaped out of her. "I do own the place. At least half of it."

"Then more power to you." His eyes moved along her face and then he smiled.

For a second she caught herself following the movements of his eyes and then as if shaking out of a trance, she groaned, running a finger over one of her eyebrows.

She wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but since they came back from Granny's almost a week ago, she has caught herself putting more attention to the man. To the way he walked, to how he moved his hands and even on how some dimples would form on his face when he smiled. Then there was how his scent clung to him no matter the day and hour and how his eyes shinned whenever he was amused and she didn't really get why.

Maybe it was because of the way they were forced to coexist, after all she hasn't shared her everyday life with another living creature since the days at the mansion she once swore never to enter ever again and that she ended up doing it with Robin was just intriguing.

It was a new experience… and now that she was living it she was soaking on every detail.

Like a few nights ago, after a long day at work, Robin had insisted she sat with him in her living room to watch a movie and somehow, instead of locking herself in her bedroom like she always did, she gave into the pressure and watched the damn movie with him.

They didn't talk much, but the experience hasn't been so dreadful, at least not until the moment she moved her eyes away from the screen to look at him and she caught his eyes already looking her way.

He played it cool by flashing her way a smile and offering some of the popcorn he has made, but ever since a little something in her started to notice things more sharply… especially when it came to him.

But not wanting to think about how disconcerted he sometimes made her feel she just closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"I won't be able to do this sober. I swear I won't be able to."

Letting go of her chin, Robin sighed. "Then good thing we're in a party and that you have a designated driver."

With that said, he climbed out of the car and walking around the vehicle to open the door for her, he offered her a hand.

She grabbed it, and when he laced their fingers with hers as they walked towards the entrance of the mansion, she wondered if he could tell how tense she was feeling.

If he did he didn't mention it, he just held her hand secured into his and walked with her into the mansion.

Inside, she couldn't help but to feel a flood of images swept over her… none of them were pleasant so she bit hard into her cheek and tightened her hold on Robin.

It was ridiculous, but a thing as simple as stepping in there triggered so many unwanted feelings and a bit overwhelmed, she felt like her legs froze, making it impossible for her to move from the entrance.

"Did you see the list? You're in as Regina Locksley."

Blinking her eyes rapidly and jerking her head to the side, the brown-eyed woman frowned. "What?"

He leaned closer so he wouldn't have to raise his voice. "I confirmed your assistance as Regina Locksley."

"No you didn't." She hissed, because she knew he wouldn't do that. Not when he knew she was going to get pissed about it.

"Oh, I certainly did." He said, walking past the entrance and giving her hand a little squeeze so that she would follow.

She did, despite the growing apprehension in the pit of her stomach she walked in.

Now, as soon as she set foot into the luxurious mansion, she felt as a more than a few of the people inside sent her way curious glances.

Not that she minded, she has never been one to go out of her way to impress or even socialize so with an arch of her eyebrow she just reached for the first glass of champagne that came her way and took a sip of it.

"I don't want to sound like a party-pooper, but you rich people don't really know how to throw a birthday party. I've never seen a group more somber outside of a funeral."

Feeling the corner of her lips curve, Regina looked at Robin. He had an easy smile on his face that differed greatly from the severe looking men around and she couldn't help but to scoff.

"What, not the party in a barn you are use to?"

"First of all, we don't party in barns, where I come from we do it in the open. Less risk of the hay catching a fire that way. Second, don't dis it until you try it."

For some reason, she laughed out loud at that, the raspy sound getting more attention from the people around.

"See, now you disrupted all these mommies from being all silent and bored and now they are giving you the evil eye. How dare you?"

Biting into her rose colored lips, Regina looked around. The people there were the crème de la crème of London. She knew most of them by name as she has attended more parties like this than she cared to count, but she has never been one to mingle so it wasn't like she would find a friendly face around.

At least not until she heard the annoying voice of her stepdaughter.

"Regina. Oh my God so glad you could come. And look at you, you look stunning."

Before Regina could react, the younger woman was throwing her arms around her neck in a very much unwanted embrace. It was done quickly before she moved to kiss her checks and then as if it was the most natural thing in the world she did the same with Robin.

Forcing a smile on her lips, Regina arched an eyebrow and tilted her head. "I see you got my gift."

Smiling wildly, Mary Margaret touched the round natural pearl necklace around her throat and showed it to Robin.

"I was such a brat when Regina lived here, she had one of these and I always snuck into her room to try it on. Now she got me my own, and with these earrings to match."

"They are quite lovely."

"It is a lovely gift, I love it." After saying that, the birthday girl ran a hand through her hair and closing her eyes for several seconds as if she was struggling between saying something or not, she sighed. "Okay… so um, will it be alright if I steal her for a moment, I promise to get her back soon."

"Sure." Robin said before sucking his lips into his mouth.

On her part, Regina opened her eyes a bit wider and looked at him, a silent way of letting him know he just gave the wrong answer.

She didn't want to go on alone with Mary Margaret and no, she didn't want to let go of his hand. He was the reason why she hasn't freak out just yet and she wasn't ready to be on her own.

But still, he disentangled his hand from hers and let her go.

"It will be quick."

Drinking the rest of the champagne in one gulp, Regina walked after her stepdaughter, moving through the crowd and towards Leopold's old study. Once there the huge double door were closed and they were left alone, as they hadn't been in such a long time.

"Okay so I said I was going to be quick so I'll be just that. I have to apologize on Leroy's behalf. I… didn't know what happened in Italy until-"

"You didn't know?" Regina interrupted with a harsh chuckle. Now no, this wasn't the way she has wanted to address the issue but since it was there, why not let it out in the open. "You sent me into a hotel of your choice so that you could spy on me, just say it and let's be over with this farce."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes and shook her head no. "That's not true. I didn't send him there, I would never… the hotel was a wedding gift… I just meant to do something nice."

"You doing something nice for me without an ulterior motive? I somehow find that hard to believe."

"That's the only thing I meant to do."

Regina was too much of a cynic to believe her, but wanting to see what would she say, she pressed on. "Why, why do something nice when you could just ignore me and forget that regretful time when we were obliged to interact?"

"Because we are family."

At the word, she laughed. "Family? No, we're not."

Mary Margaret looked down for a few seconds before lifting her face so that she could look straight at Regina. "We are, whether you like it or not. I… am not my father so don't punish me for the things he did to you, Regina." She let the words linger in the air, the sound of her voice cracking a little. "I am not here to hurt you or to sabotage your work or your marriage… or your life. I did that already once…"

Swallowing on dry, Regina could do nothing more than to stare dumbly at the other woman.

"I wanted to do something nice as a wedding gift because I know… your marriage to my father was… it was a nightmare. I know because I was there and when I saw how you were given another chance at being happy I wanted to be part of it, even if it was from afar."

Once again, Regina was left speechless.

"Of course, Leroy being Leroy, he doesn't trust you. He's sure you married just as a ploy to strip me out of my inheritance and he wanted to prove it."

"That's ridiculous." Regina said coldly, her voice forced out.

"I know." Walking to her and grabbing her hands, her stepdaughter bit on her lips. "There's nothing more in this world I want more than seeing you happy and Robin… okay I don't know him that well but he seems like the perfect man for the job."

Not wanting to let her guard down and slip on a technicality, Regina smiled a little. "He understands me." And she wasn't lying on that one.

"I'm really glad. And the way he looks at you is just… he's dreamy."

She frowned at that, but before she could ask her to elaborate, Mary Margaret went on.

"I'm seeing someone. His name is David so please, stay a while until he can get here so you'll meet him. I know we are far from being close but I want us to try this being family thing. Please."

Chewing on the inside of her cheek as hard as she could, Regina nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Now go rescue Robin before he gets bored to death."

Scoffing because she was afraid her fake husband should be by then eager to get out, she went to find him. Once she was able to locate him she went to him, grabbed his hand and guided him out of the saloon.

"Alright so we are leaving?"

Rolling her eyes and groaning a little, she shook her head no. "I wish. She wants me to meet her new boy toy and apparently he hasn't arrived yet."

"So… where are we going?"

Heading towards the kitchen and going though the service door, she guided him through a long corridor. At the end she opened a door that lead to the stairs to Leopold's underground wine cellar and down there they went.

"I told you I can't do this sober." And she couldn't, she needed some sort of help to dull all her senses and to help forget about the weird conversation she had with her stepdaughter and what better than alcohol?

She didn't want to think or to remember.

Down in the cellar, she turned on the dim light hanging from the ceiling and started to look for what she came to find.

"Here it is." Grabbing for the fancy bottle and showing it to Robin, she grinned. "Macallan God knows what. My dear old husband bought this never to drink it. He wanted to age it into eternity just so he could show it off to his business associates."

Walking to her, Robin took a closer look at the bottle and arched an eyebrow. "Do you know how much this scotch costs? I could easily buy a house with it."

Regina hummed, opening the bottle and taking a sniff at it. After doing that she used her arms to impulse her frame up the wooden table where most of the hard liquor was kept. Once sitting there she drank straight from the vase.

"Are you really drinking a scotch valued in a few hundred euros out of the bottle? For fuck's sake, for being such a fancy woman of society, you sure lack in manners. This is the second time I see you doing something like this."

Ignoring him and forcing the liquid down her throat, Regina grimaced. "It tastes horrible. What if it's spoiled?"

Robin sighed, almost as if he was being forced to do something against his will. "Give me that."

Taking the bottle and nearing it to his lips, he took a sip. Regina watched him do it, her eyes taking special notice on the way his jawline moved and how his eyelashes created a shadow on his cheeks as he looked down.

"This is far from spoiled, this is a really good scotch. If anything we spoiled it by drinking it like savages."

"Well, it's not like there are glasses lying around." With that said, she grabbed for the bottle once again and took a deep swallow. It tasted as bad as it did during the first taste, but now it went easily down her throat to settle warmly on her stomach.

"So what happened with Mary Margaret that the first thing you wanted to do was get drunk?"

Wrinkling her nose and going for another drink, she shrugged. "She wants to play the happy family. I think… maybe she said something like she doesn't want to mess with my work and my life and you know, everything."

"And you think she's lying?"

Licking her lips, Regina searched for his eyes. She found them quick enough because Robin was actually standing very close… too close if you asked her. "I don't know. That's the thing, she looked sincere but I don't… I don't know what to think."

"And being the impulsive woman that you are, you decided that instead of figuring out what was really going on, it was better to desecrate a perfectly good scotch."

Regina leaned a bit into him, enough so that her eyes could drink on the changing nuances of his blue colored ayes.

"What's the point of having a perfectly good scotch if you can't drink it? He… _Leopold_… he liked having things to show off. His liquor, his wife… even his daughter if you come to think about because he was just… you know, forget about what he was. I just want to drink this and hope he turns in his grave."

Robin watched her closely as she drank, his lips pouting a little. "Do you care to know what I think?"

"No, but you'll tell me anyway, right?"

"I think… first of all, that you have a very low tolerance for alcohol. It get's here too quickly." He said, lifting a hand and touching her temples. "Second, I think this whole thing with the house and Mary Margaret affects you so much because deep inside you live your emotions to the extreme and you just don't know how to deal with them."

Snorting, she rolled her eyes. "My emotions? I thought you said I was… how was it that you put it? Evil and unable to feel human emotions?"

He snorted, and because he was so close she felt against her face how the puff of air that came out of his mouth brushed against her skin.

"I said that?"

Her lips curved and her eyes danced over his face, his remained in her the brown of her own eyes. "I'm pretty sure you did. At least something among the lines."

Nodding, Robin blinked. "Well, I am no woman with the privilege to be changing my mind at will, but I did in this matter. I think you are soft, especially went it comes to Mary Margaret. Yeah, you like to hide it behind this hard façade but deep down you are just a softie."

That right there made her laugh. "I'm not soft, don't be ridiculous."

His eyes lowered down to her smiling lips and Regina felt her breath get caught in her throat. He was still close… closer than before even and in the semi darkness of the cellar she could feel her face flushing.

Maybe he was right and the scotch did go to her head to quickly, because as she was suddenly overcome with his closeness, she wanted nothing other than for him to close the distance and kiss her.

"Yeah you are. Bearing little gifts that have meaning, waiting to meet the mysterious boyfriend… you are soft for her."

"I'm not…" She whispered and before she could register what she was doing, she herself move forward and touch her lips to his.

It was nothing but a simple caress that lacked in intension or intensity, but it did make her eyes widen a little as she pulled back to look into his eyes.

For a second, he looked back at her in a mixture of confusion and wonder, but then he mimicked her and leaned forward so that this time, his lips would be the one initiating the contact.

It was nothing they hadn't done before, kiss, and hell, they've done it better. Now it was like they were testing waters by getting used to the sensation of their lips pressing and brushing together. Giving little pecks that in nothing satisfied the growing curiosity forming in her.

But then, as if feeling the same eagerness, he grabbed her face with both hands and put a bit more of pressure. She did the same, and when he nudged at her lips so that they could part a way for him, she did too, granting him full access.

The contact of his tongue touching hers made her hum, then when he went further in, swirling into her mouth so that he could kiss her like it was meant to be, she moved her hands to the nape of his neck to keep him in place while deepening the kiss.

Her tongue melted and slid hotly against his, her breath mingling with that of his own as Robin moved one of his hands from where it has been grabbing her cheek and let it go down to her waist to settled it there.

But then, as if she was fire itself and she just burnt him, Robin moved quickly away from her, his eyes stormy and his lips moist from their kiss.

"Okay, you're clearly drunk so…"

Not letting him finish, Regina grabbed him by the shirt and made him go back to her, her mouth immediately going back into kissing him as he settled himself right between her legs.

And for all his words, Robin kissed her without protest, one of his arms circling his waist as he pulled her against him.

There was no Leopold and no Mary Margaret in her mind that mattered in that moment, all she was focusing was in the way her tongue matched his move for move, on the way her body pressed insistently to his as that unique scent of his invaded all her senses…

It was more than nice and the heat forming between her legs was telling her she wanted more. But he apparently wasn't in the same mood as her because he once again pulled again.

"Regina… this is a big no. You're drunk. And upset."

With her lips parted and her eyes too wide in her face, the black-haired woman gasped in surprise, one hand going to her hair and the other one dropping to her lap.

She couldn't believe what was happening… not that she just went ahead and kissed him like that and not that he was refusing her.

Shaking her head and clasping her mouth shut, Regina reached for the bottle of whiskey with one hand and with the other one she pushed him away.

"Regina-"

Lifting a finger to warn him not to say a word, she blinked a couple of times. She didn't say anything though as she did that and not as she climbed down the table. It was only when she was near the stairs that she spoke.

"I want to go home."

And this time and for this request, she wasn't getting a no for an answer…

TBC

Once again thanks for the reviews. You are the best!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes**: Okay so this is a bonus chapter that definitely wasn't going to happen in my original plan for the story, but it works so let's just say it's a treat for leaving last one in the air. Now, once again huge thanks for the reviews and I hope this one doesn't throw you off.

**THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM**

"So are we going to talk about what happened or do we keep ignoring it?"

As soon as Robin's words echoed through the vast empty space of her luxurious kitchen, Regina Mills turned on the heels of her designer shoes as gracefully as her motor skills would allow it so she could face him.

Once she spotted him, standing next to the island counter, she parted her lips as if to say something, anything that would break the gag order she has imposed upon herself since the moment they left Mary Margaret's birthday party; but before any word could roll off her tongue she clasped her mouth back shut and instead of talking she just sent the man a long-lasting glance.

As she looked at him, one hand resting on his hip while the other was used to scratch the light stubble covering his jaw, Regina wondered how to respond.

It was a tricky one because she has never been good at holding back the most spontaneous part of her nature and she was half afraid that if she did as little as answer that question, things would escalate quickly and make everything worse.

She was an expert on the matter because it has always been like that for her. She has been cursed with a sharp tongue and a short fuse, then add to that the alcohol she had in her system and she just knew the combination ought to be nothing good.

That was why she was sure that the best thing she could do was walk straight into her bedroom and throw herself into bed so that she could sleep the need to reply off.

But she didn't, after all it wasn't like her common sense was on duty that night.

"What's there to talk about? I think things were clear enough." She answered curtly, her nose wrinkling and her eyes digging deep into his.

With a heavy sigh, Robin moved his head from side to side, his upper teeth pinching his lips for a couple seconds. "I don't think there was anything clear about what happened, Regina."

Snorting bitterly while dropping her head a little so that she could escape the way his piercing eyes burnt into her skin, the dark-haired wondered why she was still there.

This conversation was one she clearly didn't need because like she stated, what happened back in the wine cellar has been clear enough for her. In a somehow drunken stupor she kissed him, he didn't want it and that was it.

Dwelling on it would do nothing more than rub salt into her already bruised pride and that was only going to make her feel cranky, then she would probably lash at him and just like that, everything would go to hell.

"Yeah, whatever." She said in fake indifference, turning a little so that she could close the fridge.

After that she tried to walk past him and do what she should have done the moment they walked into her house, go into her bedroom.

But before she could do such a thing, he grabbed her arm and prevented her from going any further. "So this means we are going to ignore it?"

Groaning and getting irritated with the fact that he wouldn't let it go, Regina tilted her face towards him and snarling her lips she replied. "Yes, we'll ignore it. Can I go now?"

For several seconds he just looked at her and because she was not going to give him the satisfaction to change her gaze, she reciprocated the stare.

"You know, I really don't get why you are so pissed about this."

"I'm not pissed." She said out loud and much to her shame, her voice came out sounding very much pissed. "I just don't want to stand here and listen how you explain to me all the reason why you don't want to kiss me. Look, I get it, okay? I'm not that dense so there's no need to elaborate how… repulsive the whole thing was to you."

Scoffing, his eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed the sightless bit. "Repulsive? What… okay I don't think you are really getting it… actually I don't even think I'm getting anything either right now."

Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Regina puffed out a breath. She really hadn't mean to put it as harsh as she did, but that was part of her cursed tongue. "Let's just drop it, okay?"

Because yeah, if there was something that characterized the woman it was that she was proud a fault and this conversation, in the state she was in was only damaging her ego. And they were just beginning so imagine if they kept at it.

"Regina."

Now, because her eyes were shut, she didn't see it coming, but when she felt his hands on her face she quickly opened the soft brown of her orbs to see him standing right in front of her and this time closer than before.

"I didn't find kissing you repulsive. I mean, trust me, it was actually very far from that." He chuckled as if the idea of him not liking the lip lock was extremely ridiculous to begin with. "I think it's common knowledge that you are a very attractive woman, but…"

"But you hate me, and you can't stand me on a good day." She finished for him with a roll of her eyes. "Like I said, I got it, crystal clear."

"But…" He continued, his lips curving into the phantom of a smile. "It's not my style to be taking advantage of drunk women; especially the kind that happens to be my boss and who are kind of vulnerable at the moment. It's like a basic rule I try not to break, no matter how… ridiculously stunning said woman could look or how good she kisses."

Listening to him, Regina blinked softly, refusing to take her eyes away from his. She didn't know what it was but, but the combination of what he said, the low tone of his words drilling into her brain and then the way he was looking at her had left her a bit lost in sensation.

She didn't really know what to say, she just knew that she was suddenly very drawn to those eyes of his… again.

They just felt hypnotic and she doubted she felt like that because of the scotch still running through her blood or because going back to Leopold's mansion had shook her.

Sure, those were two were very valid points when it came to understanding what was going on because in a way they were true; but at the same time it was more than that… she didn't exactly know what, but there was something about him… something she couldn't quite put her finger on but definitely something hard to ignore.

Yes, he was the same Robin as always, the same he bas been for the past couple of years, the assistant that even though effective wouldn't just shut up… but it was as if there was more essence to him now… or maybe she was just truly seeing him.

"I didn't kiss you because I was drunk." She admitted at last. Now yes, there was no denying that her judgement has been a bit impaired at the moment she went at it and kissed him but it wasn't like she was completely incompetent when it came to her actions.

"Then why did you?" He asked softly, his thumb brushing her hair out of her face and safely behind her ear.

To that question, Regina didn't have a clear answer. At least not one that would go beyond the fact that she just felt like kissing him so she did it; or that having to step foot into her old house triggered something in her that she has wanted to appease.

After all, revisiting her past always made her feel emotionally numb and maybe she just needed a reason to feel something, anything. But because she wasn't going to lay it out that way, she just went with the safest thing she had. "I don't know."

His eyes danced all over her face. "Okay. So why don't we do this? When you do know… we'll talk about it."

His hands dropped from her face and she knew this was the moment she should agree with him just so he would let her be and then just retreat into her safe space to start the process of ignoring everything that just happened.

But then again, there was no common sense in her at all that night and she still felt that restlessness about wanting to feel something.

"What if there is nothing to talk later on. What if there's only tonight and whatever we make out of it?"

Letting the implication of what she just offered dance in the air, she saw his eyebrow rise a little. It probably took him a little time to fully grasp it… obviously, if he even got it at all.

Nodding and pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Robin cleared his throat. "And what exactly you want to make out of it?"

She shrugged. Yes, she knew what she wanted to make out of the moment but at the end it was all up to him. If he wanted them to just kiss she could go with that and later on she could finish appeasing her edginess on her own.

"I have to ask because I don't want to misread into this and then get you to be all pissed about it."

Probably because alcohol made her feel bolder, Regina licked her lips and reached for the top of bottom if his shirt. She twirled it between her fingers and then made it go undone.

Now yes, a few minutes ago she has been half annoyed and half mortified because of the same man that was at the moment making her get out of her comfort zone, but now her mood was starting to improve and she was seeing many possibilities taking place.

That she was going to regret each and every one of those when morning came? But of course, but she wasn't exactly feeling like thinking about the impending future.

Maybe she was very much drunk after all, but that was something she didn't want him to know.

"What if I say that it was up to you, that tonight we could do whatever you want to make out of this."

"Then I would say that you are very much drunk and I would have to let you go back to your room to let you sleep it off."

Regina hummed, not exactly surprised but a bit disappointed. If only he would stop playing the perfect gentleman card and just do what he wanted to do to her.

Sure, he wasn't exactly saying it but she could feel in the way he was looking at her that he wanted to do something and yes, it would be very rewarding if he just went with his gut because she wanted him to lose his cool with her.

Maybe it was indeed the scotch talking, but the thing was that she wanted him to kiss her senseless, she wanted to feel his hands running all over her body and she wanted… well, she wanted him to do anything and everything he wanted to do to her.

What could she say? It has been such a long time since she had given into the pleasure that a man could offer that just thinking about it made her skin feel alive.

"Then that would be such a shame because this is a one time offer. This… is something I don't do… I don't let myself fall backwards, so you either catch me or just get out of my way so I can land somewhere else."

At her words, Robin sucked into his mouth the corner of his bottom lip and looked away from her so he could take a glance around the kitchen; then, without giving her time to react he took a few steps forward and made her back up against the counter, blocking an escape she didn't plan on doing with his body.

Unable to help it, Regina swallowed hard; he hadn't said a word nor has he lifted a hand to touch her, but the sensation he was provoking by being so close and the way he was looking at her was too much all of a sudden and she had to bite her tongue not to tell him to just stop with the thinking and start with the action.

"Why do I have the feeling this will come back at me to bite me in the ass sooner rather than later? That as soon as your head is clear you'll accuse me of taking advantage of you?"

"My head is clear right now, I know what I want. Do you?" At least she knew what she wanted right in that moment. Who cared what would happen next…

"I do know."

And just like that, before she could even think on a reply, his lips were in hers; first giving her a couple of soft pecks and then his mouth just taking complete possession of hers.

Closing her eyes and letting him angle his face to the left so that hers could go the other way, Regina felt him go right in, his tongue searching hers out as one of his hand slid into her hair.

The sensation made her shiver in anticipation so she kissed him back, resting her hands over his shoulders and then sliding them down to his arms, her palms curling around the muscles there as her mind got all clouded by the way his tongue dueled against hers.

It was a nice feeling; actually it was more than nice and when he pressed even more into her so that her body could mold into his, she couldn't help bit to hum low in her throat.

Maybe he didn't even know it, but just with that little movement, suddenly all her senses were on edge and she felt like she needed more. That's why she moved her hands up, so that she could circle his neck and have him closer.

He complied, kissing her a little deeper and his hands sneaking to her waist. Once there he let them slide right up her ribcage, reaching the underside of her breast and then going back down.

He did that tentatively, repeating the motion a couple of times, always getting near her breast but retreating as soon as she was sure he was going to touch her properly. She wanted him to do it, to go further up, after all the dress she was wearing was one that had to be worn without a bra and she was craving to feel the heat of his hands there, even if it was through the fabric of her dress.

But he wouldn't just do it, he would build the anticipation of a touch that wouldn't quite happen just to disappoint and made her feel frustrated.

Breaking away from the kiss, she grabbed his hands and dragged them up so he could at last touch her. "You can touch me, I won't break."

Robin blinked several times, the corner of his lips curving into a surprised half a smirk. "Okay."

Giving her what she wanted, he pressed his hands harder over her, feeling her around, cupping her, circling her already hard nipples with his thumbs while his eyes lowered down to watch what he was doing. He did it for a while, making her breath catch in her throat just before going a step further by sneaking his hands right underneath the dress to make the contact even more intimate

That right there made her moan softly, and as he did all he has been doing before but with her flesh bare of any barrier, he went back at kissing her.

With his tongue swirling over hers and his fingers pinching on her nipples, Robin pushed harder into her. It made his erection pock her stomach insistently and her libido rose to dangerous levels.

It was just insane because this was Robin, Robin fucking Locksley of all people and she wasn't sure how she wanted it; part if her wanted to skip all the preambles and just tell him to take her right where she was and another part wanted the moment to last as long as it could.

"Let me take this off." She whispered against his lips, reaching for the straps of her dress to start pulling it off her body.

He helped her, and once the very expensive article of clothing was pooling around her heels and onto her kitchen floor, he reached down her back and settling his hands firm on her ass, he lifted her against him.

As if in automatic, both her legs went to circle his hips as he carried her somewhere else. Her mouth also went back to kiss him as soon as he lifted her, his tongue exploring at will as her hands moved into his hair, enjoying the soft texture of it as her panties started to feel more that a little wet.

But then he let her slide down his body, putting her back into the floor while he swirled her around, her back to him while she faced what she recognized to be the wall that lead into her living room.

"So it will be whatever I want it to be, uh?" He asked, his voice so low and dark that Regina had to swallow down hard upon hearing it.

It was nothing like the easy tone that he would always use around her and that made her stomach tie in a knot. In a good way, obviously.

"Yes." She had nothing more to say to say about that. Not that she would have, after all she became almost mute under his imposing presence. She liked that he was taking control of the situation because it was hot, so hot that she had to fight hard against the urge or reaching back to touch him.

She didn't, but she did push her ass hard into his groin, hard enough to make her feel his erection pushing against her. The movement also made his hiss, she heard him, and when he moved his hands to grab the flesh of her ass to then squeeze it, she moaned.

"Well, that sounds all so tempting… but I want to know what is it that you want."

"I want you to…" She began to say, but her words died in her throat when his hands slid down to her inner thighs, caressing her flesh as his breathing brushed against her cheek.

"To touch you all over?" He asked, sliding one hand back to her hip. He left it there for a few seconds and then started to move it up and up until it was right under her right breasts. Then, as the fingers of that hand worked on running through her ribcage and getting near her breasts, he put his other hand into good use and pressed it right against the heat between her legs. "Like this?"

A broken moan escaped Regina's lips when he touched her there, her body shivering with repressed desire as he started to rub his fingers against her.

"You are all wet." He whispered into her ear, his voice scratchy as he ever so slowly moved his hand to the edge of her panties so he could slide in.

At what he was doing, the dark-haired pressed her forehead against the wall, concentrating on the feeling of his fingers wrestling a match against her underwear so he could have enough room to move. And God, when he finally got the space he was looking for she felt her knees getting weak as a lone lean finger pushed its way between her slick folds, teasing her slit and then alternating between flickering her nub and rubbing it.

As he silently worked on that secret place she kept hidden, Regina, sucked in a breath before allowing a strangled moan to escape her. It felt a bit wrong, but at the same time she didn't care, she just wanted him to keep doing exactly what he was doing.

"You haven't answered me, Regina, is this what you wanted all along or did you want something else?" He asked, his tone low as the tip of his finger menaced to break deep inside of her.

"Right now… you just keep doing that." She breathed out the words, feeling as if his finger was made of fire and he was melting her.

Robin breathed against her, pushing his finger into her as far as it would go. "Doing what, this?"

Unable to help it, Regina gasped out loud; at the invasion she felt her inner muscles quivering around his finger and the sensation was mind blowing. In fact, she could actually feel all of her being trembling as a liquid warm sensation rushed to settle on her lower stomach.

It was insane, just one finger probing into her and her mind left her body, all she could concentrate was on the way he slid in and out of her, in and out…

"Tell me, because if you don't tell me I will have to stop." To prove his point, Robin froze his movements, but he stopped while his finger remained buried deep into her.

Aware that he was taking full control but not really caring, she shook her head. "No, I don't want you stop."

Regina responded to that breathless, and since her hands were just resting against the wall she decided to put them into good use as well.

She reached for him, her hands sneaking between their bodies so she could touch him; but he was pressing so hard into her that it was impossible for her hand to touch him like she wanted to.

For a second she was going to complain, but then he added another finger to his ministration while his lips went to kiss the nape of her neck and she moaned. He was now thrusting in and out, working her good and gathering her wetness with his fingers until she forgot about everything that wasn't sensation.

It was after a while that clearing his throat, he removed his finger and pulled his hand out of her panties.

As soon as he stopped doing what he was doing, Regina felt how he made her turn around immediately and she just stared at him, feeling her face more than a little flushed as he little by little started to remove his shirt.

He did it slowly, his eyes dark and sparkling deep into hers. At the intensity of the stare, she could feel her limbs shaking and there was a sweet ache that started in her groin and rushed all the way to her toes. She wanted him to take care of that ache, and when she was about to ask what made him stop, he surprised her with another move, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her to him, forcing their lips to clash together in a kiss.

As soon as her lips touched his, Regina parted them and let him in, allowing his tongue to sweep over hers at will. There was nothing tender about it, he invaded her, his tongue plunging right into her mouth so he could kiss her long and deep as his arms circled her waist to crush her to him.

The way he was kissing her was passion at its rawest form and Robin loved every bit of it. His kiss made her feel wanton and out of control and she had to moan into his mouth, enjoying the feeling of him taking control of the situation.

Throwing an arm around his neck, she kissed him back with the same fervor he was kissing her, breathing from him, tasting him and just loving the way the naked skins of their upper bodies felt against each other.

That was what she wanted, the contact of flesh against flesh, a kiss to blow her mind and everything and anything he would give her.

Deep into kissing each other, Robin took a moment and lifted Regina off the floor. He did with no effort whatsoever and then, while still holding her up he moved until he was able to lower himself and put her down over the sofa.

Upon feeling his body go down on top of hers, Regina arched her back and pushed her hips forward, searching for a nice feel of his hard-on pressing into her groin. She craved for the feeling and when he pushed into her she moaned again.

If only he would do that without his pants and her underwear on.

But then, just as suddenly as he started kissing her he stopped, getting up to his feet and watching with all the intensity of his eyes as she remained laying over the sofa.

"Ok… this is kind of getting out of hand…"

"What?" She asked sitting down. He wasn't thinking on stopping now, was he?

Judging by the dilemma written all over his face, he probably was and that was something she wasn't going to allow.

Yes, she said that it was going to be whatever he wanted it to be, but she was just too worked out to just leave it there.

With that in mind and blinking a couple of times, Regina shut her mouth and looked down his body until her eyes caught the obvious erection inside his pants. She parted her lips when she saw that and extending a hand she touched it.

"Just come here." Leaning forward and before he could do something to prevent it, Regina ran her tongue over the hard bulge that wanted to break out his pants. It made him hiss, and because he didn't pull off she did it again, this time going back down.

With that done, she pulled away and then started with the task of liberating him of the bondage. He just let her do it, and when it was all out of the way, she was rewarded when the very essence of his manhood sprung out, thick and proudly flushed.

Blinking slowly, Regina brushed her lips against it, grabbing him by the base and holding it firmly against her face. She inhaled his scent, feeling him hard in her hand…

"You are a little temptress…"

Regina smirked, what he said was close to an admittance of defeat and she wanted to think that he was going to give up the fight against her; after all he wasn't pulling away and he had no objection to what she was doing, obviously.

So wanting to go further with him, she looked up into the heat of his eyes and took him into her mouth, sliding her lips over the crown of his erection and then going even lower.

Now it has been quite some time since she did something like this so she hoped she wouldn't disappoint, especially since she has never been a big fan of going down her sexual partners. She would do it, if needed to be but overall she usually preferred skipping to the main course and just be done with it.

She didn't like wasting time.

But right in that moment, with her mind still impaired, she couldn't help but to hum over the strange pleasant feeling it gave her to taste him so intimately.

It felt as if it was all new to her so wanting to get soak into the experience, she took as much as him as she could take and applied the lightest of the suctions, her tongue swirling around him as he throbbed inside her mouth.

As she skillfully worked on his arousal, Robin sucked in a breath without taking his eyes away from her and then licked his lips, his face dark and somber as he remained in his place. On her part Regina closed her eyes and focused on what she was doing.

The moment didn't last much though, after barely a few minutes of treating him with her lips, tongue and even her hands, Robin moved his own hands to her head and tangled his fingers there, for a second Regina though he was going to guide her movements and she rolled her eyes annoyed, she hated when a man would do that.

But instead of guiding her, what he did was pull her face out of his hard member and force her to her feet. When he did it, Regina though that he had enough and was walking out, but then he kissed her lips and took her place over the sofa, sitting down and letting her stand.

That's when she knew he was up to something.

"Why don't we take this off?" He said, reaching for her panties and sliding them off of her; once out of the way she kicked at them.

"Better?" She asked, arching an eyebrow as he took and appreciative look at her naked form.

Robin didn't say anything, and just grabbed one of her legs and lifted it up to the sofa. Not wanting to lose her balance, Regina placed her hands against his shoulders and used him as a support.

At first she wasn't sure what he wanted to achieve, but when his hand went to her ass to push her nearer and when she noticed that his face was at a level with her exposed privates, she bit hard on her lips and waited to see what he was going to do.

He was looking at her and as he watched there was a sense of giddiness in her, after all it wasn't every day that she had her assistant taking a close look at her most tender spot. But then, as if that wasn't enough he lifted a hand and using his fingers he parted her, exposing her even more.

For a while he did nothing else and she wanted to ask him if he was going to stare at her all night long or if he was going to do something more pleasurable, but before the words could even form in her mind, he closed the distance that separated them and using his tongue he probed her.

Regina gasped, settling her foot firmly over the sofa as her eyes took on what he was doing. Watching him felt erotic, the feeling of his tongue brushing all over her enough to drive her mad.

He licked, dragged his tongue over her aching clit and then sucked it into his mouth, and as he teased her beyond the limits of comprehension her hands flew to his head, holding him in place as her fingers got a nice feeling of the silkiness of his hair.

"God, that feels good…" She panted as she threw her head back.

"I'm not God, I'm Robin." He mumbled, the way his voice vibrated against her sensitive flesh tickling her in the most sensuous of ways.

Regina didn't mind his words though, she was beyond caring of what he said; what he was doing was taking her very close to the edge and all she could concentrate was on sensation.

She felt feverish and in her mind all that mattered was his tongue on her, everything else was a blur. "Just…" She whimpered, holding tighter to him. "Don't you stop now."

"You want to get off on me?" He asked, his low tone sounding slightly amused.

Her response was a low affirmative hum, she just wanted him to act instead of talk.

"I can't hear you." He murmured against her, placing a series of light kisses against her inner tight.

"Robin," She complained as she looked down on him. "Don't be a damn tease… and just, just keep doing what you were doing." She was too damn close and she didn't want him to take her down her cloud with his talking.

Robin smirked, and taking her words into consideration he held her hips firm in his hands and dragged his lips back to her sex. He parted her again, flickered his tongue against the bundle of nerves hidden between her folds and that was all it took for Regina to reach her climax.

The dark-haired shut her eyes tight and moaned, the sound coming from the back of her throat as Robin refused to stop feasting of her. It was definitely a sobering experience and as he held her closer, his lips and tongue still working on her as she shivered her release away.

It was amazing, he was amazing and when he got up to his feet and lifted her up against him she barely took notice. She was still not in her right mind.

"I can't feel my legs." She breathed out loud, and wanting to see if they still worked she wrapped them around his hips.

They worked alright, and not only did they work but they held to him as he walked with her around the room.

"If you can't feel them now wait until I'm done with you." He whispered darkly as his hands cupped her ass to held her up, then he placed her against the wall and after accommodating himself in such a way that his erection was in the right place, he pushed in and with a groan he buried himself deep into her.

Hissing, Robin drew almost all the way out and then slammed back in, his eyes watching without blinking the way their bodies joined in the most pleasurable of sins. "Shit, Regina." He growled, repeating the motion over and over again until he picked a rhythm that he seemed to enjoy.

He wasn't too fast, but he wasn't too slow either… his pace was just perfect and with a little of motivation she was sure that he could make her reach her climax again. Hopefully.

"Feels so good..." Regina growled as well, using the same feral tone he was using. That seemed to increase his drive because he slammed harder into her, making her gasp at the impact.

She was still too sensitive and the feeling of him moving within her was overwhelming, especially when he started to use his hand to roam her behind.

He knead, he grabbed and even brushed a finger to her pucker. That was another first for her, with her past lovers she kept that area off limits and yet there was Robin, touching her where nobody has touched her before…

And she liked it, to her that was like a broken taboo and that he touched her there, even if it was briefly made her trembled all over.

"Robin..." She breathed out, watching as he looked into her eyes. His eyes seemed almost black with the force of his desire and she had to hold her breath for a second, mesmerized by the fire in them.

"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes delving deep into hers and his movements never slowing down. Then he bit on his lips.

Humming, Regina leaned forward and kissed his lips quickly. "Don't you there stop."

He chuckled, but then Regina started to kiss him long and deep and the mood went back into sex overdrive.

Much as she wanted him to, Robin kept going at her, sliding in and out of her; all until his thrusts started to become erratic.

"If I keep like this I'm going to fucking cum." He hissed, his fingers digging into her flesh.

Feeling more frisky that what she had any right to be, Regina bit her lips and smirked. "Then cum for me, I want to feel you." Yeah, she has been kind hoping that she could reach the edge a second time, but the truth was that no one had ever make her climax twice in one session and she wasn't disappointed that Robin didn't; in fact, she was more interested on seeing him get off.

Without sliding out of her, he moved away from the wall and put her down on the sofa once again, laying her down so he could rest his weight over her. Once there, engaged into a body to body experience, he grabbed one of her legs, lifted it up and started to slam back into her.

"Fuck…"

At the new sensation Regina moaned out loud, she loved the way his body was pinning her down and she loved even more the wild look on his face as he possessed her. "Yes, just like that." She purred.

Robin licked at his lips and before his tongue could retreat back into the cave of his mouth, Regina darted hers out and touched it to his. That movement marked the beginning of another kiss and as it went on she pushed his hand away from her thigh so she could hold him to her by locking her legs around him.

"Don't do that or I'll cum right inside of you."

At his words, Regina held him tighter and grabbed his face to kiss him hard. That's how she took him to the edge, and with some jerky thrust and more than a few groans and moans he spilled his warm seed deep inside of her.

Regina loved it, as he rode down his orgasm he never stopped thrusting into her, add to that the feeling of his hot essence filling her up and the way he clumsily searched for her lips to kiss and she was a goner, again…

"Oh God," The orgasm hit her hard and took her un-prevented, making her squirm and moan underneath him as he kept pushing in and out of her until he subsequently had nothing more to give.

After that Regina really couldn't feel her legs and she relaxed her hold on him, her lips curving into a satisfied smile and her eyes closed. "That was just… wow."

"It was." With that said, he kissed her long and deep before pulling out.

Wrapping an arm around his neck and having the unique sense of him dancing all around her, Regina closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

Yes, she knew she should go and find some alone time to clean, as she was feeling a stickiness pouring out of her; but damn, after that little marathon she wasn't sure if she could stand and to be honest, that his essence was leaking out of her was kind of iconic…

It represented what just happened between them and she liked how it felt. She also didn't move because she wanted to cling to that moment a little longer… because even though she didn't think she was going to regret everything that happened there, she was very well aware that by the time morning came, things would have to once again go back to the way they were before.

What happened there wasn't going to change a thing and no, it was something that couldn't be repeated, so while it lasted, she better just… enjoy it.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes**: Huge thanks for the nice words for last chapter, I'm really happy you liked. In fact I am so happy I added another extra scene before going back to real business. Hope you enjoy!

**THE FALL-OUT**

Robin…"

Realizing that her tone didn't come off as the warning she has meant but as a strangled breath torn from the deepest part of her being, the dark-haired woman known as Regina Mills closed her eyes and tried to gather herself in order to say it again, this time maybe with more impetus and definitely finishing her sentence.

But before she could even begin to form the words in her head, his mouth descended into hers so that he could capture her lips into a searing kiss and she had no choice but to breathe into the moment while trying to decide if what she meant to voice out was really important.

Sure, she was going to tell him to stop, that she didn't want or needed what happened between them the night before to repeat itself; but the truth was that as he kissed her so very slow and thoroughly, she couldn't form any kind of coherent thought and all trace of rational thinking just disintegrated before it could even shape up.

Maybe it was because he caught her half-asleep, with her brain still drowning in the last residues of alcohol and definitely with all her defenses down, and in that state she was apparently doomed to fall prey to the way he kissed her and touched her. She couldn't quite get it, actually, but it was just that no matter whatever justification she could come up with not to give into the moment again, her body would just not listen to her reasoning and her words would die before rolling out of her tongue.

That was how she ended like that, spellbound to him, because as soon as she woke up to the feeling of his lips nibbling at the tender spot right below her ear and then traveling down her neck, her body surrendered to his and her mind lost the battle before it even began.

It just happened… she still wasn't sure how it was that she made it into his bed or how come she ended up sleeping with him, but the thing was that she was there, and that she didn't even make a protest when he started with his slow act of seduction.

Yes, she tried to will herself into telling him to stop and even made a failed attempt of pointing out to him that he had no right to take the liberties he was taking with her because really, who did he think he was anyway?

He couldn't just go and touch her like she was his to claim. Didn't he know his place…? But as she has been gathering the willpower to snap at him, he parted her lips with his tongue to slide in and just like that her judgement got compromised. Now she wanted nothing more than to kiss him back with the same curiosity that he had and that was it.

Resigned to her fate, Regina angled her face into his left hand, because as he kissed her, that one had crawled up to her cheek and was now holding her in place, four of his fingers burying into her hair and his thumb tracing random patterns along her skin.

It was wrong and she knew it, as she has meant for whatever happened with Robin the night before to stay there, as a one night thing… so that he was extending his privileges was something that she shouldn't be encouraging… yet, it felt nice… and in her still groggy mind she couldn't find a good reason to really stop him.

Sighing into the kiss, she felt him move from his place at her side so he could roll over her and she took the moment to let her hands move to his shoulders, sliding slowly down the ripple of his muscles and then down to his sides so that she could rest them to his hips.

His skin felt good under her touch so she kept roaming, allowing the pad of her fingertips to run freely, soaking in the feeling of how was warm and smooth he felt. She liked it, and she particularly enjoyed how even though lean, he had muscles in all the right places. His arms, stomach, his back…

But because he apparently had the same curiosity to explore, he pulled from the kiss and slowly dragged his lips down her chin, brushing along her collarbone and then lower and lower until his mouth was in the swell of her breast.

Closing her eyes and pushing her head into the pillow, Regina felt his breath caressing her skin as he placed a series of kisses down her cleavage. He did it slowly, as if he had no hurries in the world other than getting familiarized with the contours of her body.

"You doing that all night long?" She asked huskily, lifting a hand and letting it rest to the back of his head.

"Look who finally woke up."

Humming and opening her eyes to slits, Regina looked at him. "Well… sleeping can be a bit hard when you are here… molesting me."

"Molesting you?" He said and if she wasn't mistaken, his tone came out a bit amused. "It was you the one who got a bit… let's say friendly while I was trying to sleep."

"Liar." She said in confidence, but then, as her mind started to clear a bit, she started to wonder if it was true. "Okay what did I do?"

"Shhh, too much talking." With that said, Robin opened his mouth over her nipple and then closed it, allowing his tongue to draw circles around the hard peak and then ever so lightly, pulling at it with the edge of his teeth.

When Regina hummed in appreciation and pulled his head closer, he sucked it into his mouth, his tongue never stopping its movements over it. Smoothing her, lapping and then kissing the tender spot.

He kept at it for a while, alternating breasts, leaving her nipples moist and standing on attention. It was then, before her mind could start protesting against what she was letting him do, that she grabbed his head to pull him into a kiss.

She went at it without a second thought, her tongue sweeping over his so that she could kiss him deep, wishing he would be between her legs so that she could feel all of him instead of just having his erection pushing insistently against her thigh.

But even though he wasn't exactly where she wanted him to be, what he was doing was enough to send her mind straight into the gutter. With his kiss he was stealing her every breath as his own and the touch of his fingers on her skin felt like fire.

_True, his touch was lacking the urgency of other night before, but it felt as if the light caress was burning her hypersensitive skin with the maddening touch and as his fingerers traveled from her naked thigh to her hip and then a little bit further up, she had to bite on his lips to prevent a strangled moan to escape her. _

_It was amazing how he managed to do that, how he has managed to master her skin with just a touch of his expert digits running through her ribcage and everywhere her exposed skin would allow it._

_But, as good as all that felt, half her brain was screaming at her to stop, it was trying to tell her that she was playing with fire and because of that she needed to force herself into getting a grip. _

_There was a reason she didn't do this kind of thing, why she didn't do relationships or opened up to people, and she was exposing too much of herself to this man as it was to complicate it even more than what it already was._

_"Robin," She began to say as she moved her mouth from his. "I have to go."_

_"You do?" He answered back, his lips tracing a path from the corner of her lips to her throat._

"Hmm." _She mumbled, throwing her head back against the pillow as his teeth and tongue kept teasingly nipping and lapping that special spot below her jaw that she loved so much to be treated, and while he worried her throat with his mouth his fingers kept working their sorcery on her flesh, squeezing her breast in his palm as her boiling blood flushed her skin._

He didn't reply to that, he just allowed his hand to _slip between her legs, running smoothly all the way up until two expert digits found the liquid heat that was making her judgment to be impaired._

'_Oh..." She purred as she licked her lips, her legs automatically separating so he could explore with care, parting her and feeling her at will. He knew exactly how to touch her to make her squirm, he knew where to rub, he knew the right rhythm and pressure to put on her and as the momentum was staring to build in the pit of her stomach a lone finger slipped in, making her moan out loud at the sweet intrusion._

The finger went all the way in without any resistance, getting swallowed into her wet velvety core and making her tremble against him. _Aching, swollen and with every fiber of her being vibrating, she threw one of her arms above her head and allowed sensation to take over, her eyes closed and her other hand encouraging him to kiss her. Then when he stopped what he was doing to accommodate himself right between her legs, she let him._

"Nobody is stopping you, if you want to go then go." He hissed against her lips, his hips darting forward so his hardness could grind against her sex.

By then she was burning, aching for him to give that final push into her and he knew it, he knew she wanted it and that she was not going to go anywhere.

That should be her cue to go, because she was giving him too much control over her and that was another thing she didn't do.

"You're really an asshole." She finally said, and to accompany the response, Regina thrust her hips against him, her lips moving down his jaw until she started to kiss a path straight to his shoulders. Then, before she could even blink her eyes open, he was sliding into her.

"You and your manners. Don't you know you are not supposed to run that pretty mouth of yours insulting me when my cock is so deep into you?"

Opening her mouth to say something to that last statement but managing only to gasp softly when she felt him settle all the way in, the brunette spread her legs a bit more to give him more room, and when he retreated almost all the way out to then go back in, she clung to his shoulders.

"I'll run my mouth however I want to. And I'll still go…" She gasped finally, tilting her face towards his so that she could look at him in the eye.

Repeating the motion of pulling out and then back in, Robin kissed her mouth briefly. "Go ahead."

Breathing out and unable to overlook the fact that he hadn't stopped thrusting into her as she kept her eyes on his, Regina wondered if she could do it, leave just like that, right in the middle of the act itself and when his erection so deep into her that one couldn't tell them apart.

"Or you can also stay. I mean you're already here."

Holding still into her and the full intensity of his blue eyes focused on her own brown orbs, he pushed the inside of his lips with his tongue.

"Okay…" She breathed out, not sure if it was an affirmation or a question. But in that moment she didn't have it in her to muse about that possibility of what she was saying.

"Mmm sounds better that way." Humming, he rotated his hips against her. Regina just looked at him, he was refusing to drop the eye game and the intensity of them digging deep into hers was almost hypnotic. It felt obscene, even more personal than the way he was moving against her and into her.

She wasn't dropping her eyes either which made things feel even more intense. But it was just that she couldn't look away and for a couple of seconds she got lost into the deepness of his blue eyes and went back in time to remind herself how they got there, to that precise moment.

"Turn around." He said, bringing her out of her thoughts and into reality as he slid out of her.

Swallowing on dry and missing the warmness of his body already, Regina did as he wanted her to do and turned, settling firmly on her hands and knees as his own hand came to rest on her shoulder; then he dragged it slowly down her spine until it came to stop on her lower back.

That right there made her tremble and as he did that, she upturned her ass on his direction and bit down on her lips.

"Shit, you look so good like this." He mumbled darkly, and even when she couldn't see him she felt how he grabbed his erection into his fist and touched her with it. First dragging it along her ass and even slapping her flesh a little with it. When he started to rub it against her slick entrance she brazed herself for what was coming. "I mean… you do have a fine ass. It's perfect."

She scoffed, moving her hips to let him appreciate her even more. He responded by touching her, getting a handful of her flesh and kneading what he could as he hissed his approval; then he pushed back into her sex.

Gasping brokenly, Regina arched her back and closed her eyes. She has been waiting for it, she even wanted it, but truth was that the feeling of him driving in prompted her to grab hard into the blankets as a way to steady herself.

Not that she minded too much, after all as if sensing her struggle he grabbed her hips to steady her before he started to drive into her.

"You feel amazing, so hot and wet. Is that for me?" Moving his hands to her ass, he started touching her around. He seemed to really like doing that so she swayed her hips, making him suck in a deep breath. "Is it?"

"Yes." She replied, her voice nothing but a raspy breath. Now, she has never been too much into talking during sex but in that moment, her mind wasn't functioning in it's full capacity. Besides, if that's what he wanted to hear then why not?

It was sex after all, not a business meeting and she has always seen the act as a no holds barred event when it was with the right person and well… Robin was definitely one of those. That's why she replied with what he probably wanted to listen.

"All for you."

Apparently satisfied with the answer, Robin went at it for a while, his girth sliding smoothly into her wetness until she was sure he was burning his way into her. It was good, it felt out of this world, the sound of flesh against flesh and his labored breaths like music to her ears.

From that angle, the friction was unbelievable and she was glad that they were doing this in the confines of her house and not anywhere else, because otherwise she would be drawing a lot of attention with her moans.

Sucking in a breath, Robin moved his hands from her ass. "See, that's a better use for that mouth. You sound so sexy… like that."

Gasping, she opened her mouth and then tried to clasp it shut. Usually she wasn't so vocal, but it was that everything felt just so intense that she couldn't help it; then when he reached for her hair and grabbed it in one hand while the other pressed against her stomach, she pushed hard back against him and that was it for her.

It felt as if he just stabbed her core in the most delicious way, even her vision blurred out.

"Oh my… God." Throwing her head back, she panted as her release hit her. It happened fast and hard, and at the sensation she just had to close her eyes tight shut and leave her mouth open so that she could breathe through it. And all the while Robin kept rocking his hips against her, pushing so deep that she was sure his erection was going to come out through her throat.

It didn't, obviously, but it was reaching so deep within her that she was sure she was going to ache afterwards. Not in a bad way, but she was definitely going to feel it in the morning.

"You like it?" He asked, moving his hands to her ass and squeezing her again. He even spread her even more to take a good look at what he was doing.

"Yes." She cried out and to show him, she began to move against him, pushing hard into him as he slammed back. But before she could enjoy more of that, he pulled out of her and before she could protest the void he left in her she felt the warm essence of him being poured to her lower back.

"Shit." He moaned and cussed under his breath, and apparently once he spilled all he had he went back in, pushing his still erected manhood into her as he leaned forward to kiss the back of her neck.

Shivering at the contact and lowering her head so that he could have more room to do that again, she licked her lips. But then he moved his mouth even lower, his tongue darting out so it could taste her skin and she arched against him, her back molding to him.

With what just happened, she was still feeling her heart beating hard into her chest and adding to that what he was doing with his lips and how her body was absorbing the heat of his chest pressing to her and she just had to let a low moan escape her lips.

"I don't know what you're doing to me, Regina, I swear." He said, pulling out while she lowered herself so that she could lay flat on her stomach.

She still felt her whole body vibrating and she needed a few seconds to collect herself.

Now, to what he said, she didn't reply, she just lay there, feeling how he started to wipe her clean and as her adrenaline and the high sensations started to leave her, common sense started to come back.

She was now wondering how she was going to get out of this one. Yes, the night before she could blame it all on the alcohol and dismiss it as a thing of the moment. But this… what just happened had no justification whatsoever.

"You alright?" Robin asked and she felt him settle by her side, circling her waist with one of his arms.

"Yeah, just tired." She lied and as if he wanted to add more fuel to the fire, he kissed her shoulder tenderly and told her to rest.

Once again, she said nothing and for the longest of times she remained there, still and quiet as a shadow. It was only when she was sure that he fell asleep that she sneaked out of his embrace and got out of his room to go into hers.

It was still early, too early to go to the office, but because she didn't feel like staying home and then having to face Robin while they were on their own and in the familiarity of her house, she got into the shower and then got ready to leave.

It was close to six in the morning when she arrived to the company, which made her the first to get there and as she looked at the hour in her phone, she estimated that she had at least three hours for Robin to arrive as well.

By then, she was supposed to be more focused into what she needed to do. Get in control and guard herself back behind the brick walls she liked to keep around her.

Thankfully, as the hours went by, a distraction came before Robin could and this diversion came as a blessing.

"Regina, dearie, I come with great news. Guess."

Moving her eyes away from the document she has been redacting, Regina looked at the person who just walked into her office as if he owned the damn place.

It was Gold, and because she wasn't in the mood for his little guessing games, she just arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "It's too early for me to be guessing and I haven't had my cup of coffee yet so why don't you just tell me."

"Well aren't you just a bundle of joy today? But don't worry, what I have here will make your day… hell it will make your year better."

Closing her eyes and sighing loudly, Regina ran a hand through her hair. "Just tell me what is it."

Grinning, the older man showed her a document. "Last night, Mary Margaret sent this to the Board. A document conceding you, Regina Mills, her part of the company to administer as you see befitting."

"What? No way." She said in astonishment, getting to her feet and yanking the piece of paper out of Gold's hands to read it.

She went through it thoroughly, wanting to make sure there were no tricks hidden. When she corroborated there were none, she moved her eyes up to look at Gold and then she laughed.

"She did it just like that?"

Before Gold could answer, another person walked into the office without even knocking and feeling the smile fade in her face, she saw it was Robin.

He didn't look too happy and she was going to assume it was because she left without saying a word and after such moments they lived.

"Ah, look who's here. Just in time."

Pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Robin folded his arms to his chest as he looked at both of them in turns. "In time for what?"

"To what I was going to say. I'll let your lovely wife here bore you with the details later on, I'll just add that even though this is a victory, I wouldn't let my guard down. I say you two should keep with this… marriage a while longer so you can get your papers, just as it was planned, you know, just in case. And just keep doing what you are doing, the Milan deal was a really good move. The Board is really interested in that one."

Walking to her desk and sitting in her executive chair, Regina settled her eyes on Gold. "Yes, the Milan deal is a priority. I was thinking on giving the account to Robin so that he can work it from there once things are more steady."

"You want to send me to Milan?" He asked, his voice both incredulous and amused.

"Trust me, I would go myself but apparently I shouldn't leave the country while applying for my citizenship so yeah, I think it's better if you go."

He scoffed. "You're unbelievable."

Shrugging and pursing her lips, Regina finally gathered the will to look at him. "You wanted the account, didn't you?" Besides it wasn't like he was going to be there forever. Just a couple of weeks every now and then and that wasn't even going to be immediately.

It was better that way… for everyone.

"Well, however you do it, just make it good." With that said, Gold patted Robin's shoulder and just as he came in, he left.

"What the bloody hell was that?" The blue-eyed man asked once they were on their own.

Acting as composed as she could, Regina cleared her throat. Sure, it was awkward to act detached with a man that not even six hours ago had his dick into her and his tongue in her mouth but she was going to do what she could.

"Mary Margaret gave me her part of the company to administer and-"

"I'm not talking about that; I'm talking about the Milan thing and the fact that you left without even saying a word this morning."

Arching an eyebrow, she tapped her fingers impatiently to her desk. "And since when do I have to ask permission to leave my own house? Don't get confused here, Locksley. As for the Milan thing? I need you there, I mean you're working for me, aren't you?"

Instead of answering immediately, he fixed his eyes into hers, his lips set into a thin line and his jaw clenching. She held his gaze, almost defiantly.

"Is this because of last night? You said you were not going to take it out on me."

She blinked a couple of times. "I am not taking it out on you. Last night…" She sighed, trying to find a way to let it all out without being too harsh because she needed Robin on her team. "It happened, we had a good time, we got it out of our systems and that's it. Now it's back to business, which is the only thing we should be doing from now on."

His eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "You know this… you're such a bloody coward."

Scoffing and more than a little surprised, the brown-eyed woman did a double take. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, at least own it, Regina. You are pushing me away because I got too close. But it's also a huge bitchy move, because just so you know, you can't make people care and then just… piss on them like this."

"You know what, screw you." Her voice came louder than what she intended to, but it was just that he really pissed her off.

But before he could reply, her office phone started to ring. For a moment, she stared at it, first because the sound startled her and second because it was always Robin the one who answered.

"I'm taking the day off so answer the phone yourself." With that, he turned around and left, slamming the door on his way out.

"Stupid asshole." She hissed, reaching for the phone angrily and putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Regina Mills, can you explain to me how is it that I just found through an article about Mary Margaret's birthday party that you, my daughter, my only daughter married without even telling me?"

Groaning and lowering her face until her forehead was touching the top of her desk, Regina closed her eyes. "Mother…"

"Don't say anything. Your father and I will be taking a flight to London as soon as we can so that you can explain that to us in person."

With that said, Cora hung up and Regina let out a bitter laugh, wondering how did everything went to hell so fast…

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Regina didn't really see herself as a vindictive bitch; not even by a long shot and no, she didn't think she was one of those ball-breaker, feminazis with a grandeur complex who couldn't see well past her own nose.

She was harsh and impulsive, yes, sometimes brutally so as she was not afraid of telling what was on her mind no matter the consequences. That right there was the root of most of her problems, but then, as if that wasn't enough she was also a control freak, her cockiness more often than not bordered in being too arrogant and her commitment of drawing a line between herself and the rest of the world made her seem cold and detached; but going as far as being a bitch? No…

At least she didn't see it that way.

Now, the thing was that even though she wouldn't auto-impose that peculiar attribute on her person, chances were that she actually acted as a bitch in every sense of the world.

She was half aware of that, but it was just that she has been playing the role for so long and so damn well that most of the time she didn't see it and no, in her own little world she couldn't even grasp the possible repercussions of the way she acted until it was too late.

It was only then, when dealing in the aftermatch of her own rotten behavior when she could clearly see why it was that she always ended up rubbing people the wrong way.

That day was the perfect example of it. When she should have acted professionally and composed regarding what happened the night before between Robin and herself, she chose to impulsively pull off a totally bitchy move on him and well, now that it was done she realized that she should have handled it better.

Talking it out and putting on the table why it was that them hooking up was the worse idea ever would have been better. He probably would have understood and maybe even agree with her reasons.

But she didn't do that and now it was what it was. She acted more than a little bitchy, as a result he was pissed, she was cranky as hell and what was worse, because she needed Robin on her team she now needed to put aside her own acrid mood and do one of the things she hated doing the most. Apologizing… or at least appease to his good side.

She didn't want to do it and that made her feel even more irritated, but repeating in her head over and over again that it was all for the greater good she decided to just go for it.

After all, she did say when she jumped into this crazy voyage that she was going to do whatever it would take to make it work and this was part of it.

So that has been her intention when coming home, to spit out an apology, swallow her pride even if she ended up chocking on it and be done with it.

Not because she believed she has been wrong, not because she was eager to put an end to the animosity brewing between Robin and herself and definitely not because she felt she needed to justify her actions, but only because she needed him to keep playing along and in good terms.

Besides she really, really needed something very important from him and in the mood he has left the office that morning, she highly doubted he would want to humor her unless she would bend over backwards and try to make it better.

So yes, that has been the plan. The only problem? Robin wasn't home when she finally arrived.

Not she minded too much. She actually got home earlier than usual so that he wasn't there was no big deal. In fact, his absence was very convenient because it gave her extra time to mentally prepare and do the other thing she has been planning to make things a bit better, cook something for him.

It was ridiculous, she knew it but she was aware of how much she sucked at being sincerely sorry so she googled for things she could try to make her look genuinely apologetic and well, apart from sex, thing that was out of the question, or buying a gift for him, thing that would take too much of her time, prepping something to eat seemed like the best option.

That was what she ended up doing, making a lasagna; then when it was done she took a shower and went to take a quick nap just because she was so very tired.

Between Mary Margaret's party, the time she spent with Robin and then the wretched day she ended up having thanks to her mother, she just needed the rest.

When she woke up, almost five hours later and with nightfall already taking over, Robin was yet to arrive.

Groggy and slightly disoriented, Regina checked her phone to see if he sent a text saying he wasn't coming home. There was none so she looked out the window, saw that his car was definitely not there and then went to check the alarm system to see if he even got there at one point during the day.

He hasn't, meaning that he has been missing in action since leaving the office first thing in the morning.

Unable to help it, she got instantly annoyed, her mood once again getting sour because of the man. Did he think her house was the damn Ritz Carlton that he could come and go as he pleased? Because that wasn't the case. She has been very specific about the rules of the game and he knew that if for some reason he wasn't going to spend the night there he needed to let her know.

Not because she cared, because she really didn't, but just because as the control freak that she was, she wanted to be aware of those things.

She almost grabbed her phone to send him a message about it, but realizing in time how that could make things between them so much worse, she took a deep breath and decided against it.

If she snapped at him, he was not going to agree playing the good husband for her parents so that could end up being counterproductive. She couldn't risk it, no matter how ill-tempered she was.

Besides, it wasn't really like him to do these kind if things so what if this was something more than him being mad. What if something happened to him?

As soon as that possibility settled in her head, her mind started playing with more than a dozen scenarios that could justify why the hell he wasn't there and a strange feeling started to settle in the pit of her stomach.

What if he got into a car accident? One so bad he ended up unable to communicate with her, or maybe even a carjacking gone wrong and was now laying in a ditch bleeding to death.

What if that was the reason why it was almost one in the morning and he wasn't there?

Now, there was no reason to panic yet because it could also be that he decided he had enough of her crap and just bailed out on her even though their contract said they could only stop pretending to be happily married when she became a citizen?

That last could also be dangerous for her case… or, what if he was with another woman?

He was a man after all and yes, even though she would say he ended up deeply satisfied with her the night before, twice, he could already be looking for another body to posses.

Shaking herself out of those last thoughts because one, she made a promise to herself not to let her mind wander about how they ended up having sex and second, because somehow the thought of him doing the things he did to her with another person made her feel oddly uncomfortable.

Just imagining him… kissing other lips as if there was no care in the world, touching another body everywhere they would let him…

"Come on, don't get ridiculous now." She mumbled angrily to herself, looking out the window a second time.

Maybe he just went out with some friends. It has been Friday night and even though she evaded mingling, he seemed like the kind of person that actually liked socializing so it wouldn't be weird for him to want a night out.

Sure, that he has been out since early morning was odd but still…

Blowing out a breath, Regina hoped that was the case even though it would make her be pissed off knowing that he got her worried for nothing. But him doing that was better than him being dead or hooking up with some slut...

Pacing a bit, she looked at her phone again, and still nothing, so for the next twenty minutes or so she shifted between being worried and angry.

It wasn't until she heard his car approaching that she decided what she was, royally pissed.

If he hadn't been dead or seriously injured, why the hell didn't he send a damn text?

Clenching her jaw, she sat by her kitchen's counter, drinking a glass of water so that she could lower her revolutions.

She shouldn't snap, shouldn't even question him and just limit herself to inform him that since her parents would arrive the following day, she needed him to be there.

By the time he walked in, definitely wearing something different that what he had that morning at the office, she was still mad… but more than mad she was curious as to where he has been.

Now, as he made his way from the entrance and all across the living room, he seemed to be engrossed in his phone, reading and scrolling; it wasn't until he was close enough that he looked at her.

It was only a passing glance, his head tilted up towards her almost as if he just felt the intensity of her stare, but when he saw her, the blue of his eyes only lingered for a couple of seconds before going back to what he was doing.

"Where the hell were you?" She asked and no, it hadn't been smooth, she knew it but the words rolled out before she could even stop them.

Arching an eyebrow and turning so that he could really look at her, Robin blinked slowly. "I didn't know I had to check in with you on my free time as well."

Swallowing hard and lifting her chin, Regina rolled her eyes "You don't. Trust me, what you do in your time off is your business and nothing I care for, but I really needed to get in touch with you and you were nowhere to be found."

At her tone, his jaw tensed a bit and he lifted his phone, putting it in the counter next to hers. "You've never been afraid to call or text at any given time so…"

It was in that moment that she knew things were not going to be as easy as she thought; she knew because of the way he was looking at her only meant that he was still salty and probably didn't want to be bothered.

Having a feeling that she started with the wrong foot, Regina crossed her arms to her chest and twisted her lips in what could be considered a petulant manner. It was a mechanism defense tactic she has mastered over the years. "Anyway, now that you're here I need to talk to you."

Robin gave a nonchalant shrug and running a hand down his face, he sighed. "Sure, talk."

Now, his words even though kind of cutting only made her think on the way he talked to her the night before, on how he has spoken in that low growl that felt as if ripped straight from the deepest parts of him…

But she hadn't called to him to muse about all the thing he did last night. No, what she needed was to apologize and then drop the bomb of her parents visiting them.

"I…" Instead of going through with the apology, Regina remembered the lasagna and cringing at how stupid this was going to sound, she climbed out of the stool to check the oven. The food was there, perfectly intact so she took it out and placed it harshly on the counter. "I cooked something."

Shifting the weight of his body to his right food, Robin scoffed. "That's what you so urgently needed to tell me? Why, you want me to congratulate you or something?"

Doing her best to ignore his tone, she took out a plate and cut a piece for him. It was still warm with it being in the oven so she served it as it was. "Just sit and eat so I can talk."

His eyes narrowed and he stared at her for a few seconds. It was only when she motioned him to sit down that he did.

"Is it poisoned?"

Her eyes rolled and she scratched hard at her scalp. "If I wanted to kill you it wouldn't be with a lasagna, there are easiest ways to do it."

He hummed, but he grabbed the fork and without taking his eyes from her, he took a bite. His expression didn't give anything away though.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"What do you want, Regina? I don't buy this nice act you're putting on so just spit it."

Chewing on her lips, the brunette knew this was the moment she should apologize before telling him what was happening, but for some reason she couldn't. If she said she was sorry about how she reacted to their night together, the subject would have to be touched and she didn't think she could handle that.

No, not now at one in the morning with his eyes looking at her so intently and definitely not when she could still remember how it felt to have that mouth on her… his lips sliding everywhere…

Just the thought of it made her insides turn to goo so she closed her eyes and forced all thought of him to the back of her head.

Swirling on the heels of her bare feet, Regina went to the fridge and took out one of his sodas. She opened it and put in near him. "My parents are coming tomorrow so I need you here. They will be staying in your room so until they leave, which I hope is this same weekend, you'll need to stay in my room."

Robin took a sip of the soda before answering. "No fucking way."

Groaning, Regina placed both her hands on the counter. "Okay, I know things are kind of messy between us but I really need you in this one."

"Look, I already have plans for tomorrow so it's not like I can be here, second, I'm not giving up my room. You said I could have my own space here-"

"And you do, this is going to be temporarily. Just until they are here, or do you think it would look natural for us to be sleeping on different bedrooms? As for the plans, you have to cancel them."

"I won't. You should have told me with time, sorry."

"I would have told you, but you put a missing in action." She hissed in frustration.

"Then you should have called."

Lowering her head and covering her face with her palms, Regina let out a low groan. "Robin, please, I'm begging you on this one." She wasn't even going to pull out the contract and remind him how they agreed to do whatever it took. "I'm asking this one as a personal favor."

He snorted. "Oh so we're back at being personal? I thought we were business only from now on."

Dropping her hands from her face, Regina set her eyes on him. He was equally looking at her and she knew she was screwed, as he was apparently still bitter about how she handled things.

"Are you seriously doing this to get back at me?"

Pushing the plate with his unfinished lasagna away, Robin got to his feet and walked to her. When he was close enough he swirled the stool she was using to sit until she was fully facing him. "I'm not trying to get back at you." He said, eyes set deep into hers and his face so close she was sure he was going to kiss her. She did nothing, didn't even blink, she just breathed into his scent and stared dumbly at him. "Believe it or not, not everything swirls around you. Now if you'll excuse me."

With that said, he walked away, heading towards his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Trying not to panic, Regina tried to come up with excuses for her mother. She could tell her he was in a business trip or maybe an urgent family matter… but knowing Cora, that probably wouldn't even work.

"This is going to be bad." She complained, more preoccupied than angry.

But before she could keep lamenting her misfortune, the sound of a phone vibrating took her out of her thoughts. It wasn't hers, actually her own iPhone wasn't even there, it was Robin's who apparently took the wrong one when he left and because of that, she was now siting there noticing that he had an incoming call from Marian.

Squinting her eyes and her interest picking up, Regina watched until the other woman hung up and then after taking a look towards his door, she picked the device and swiped to unlock it.

She didn't know why she was doing it, but she went straight to his messages, immediately seeing that said woman has been the last to write to him.

Nosing in, she went through their conversation. Marian was apparently the one who always contacted him but he would reply from time to time, mostly through voice messages so it wasn't like she could read through them.

But she, God, she was quite a writer, so much it was pathetic. Scrolling through, she also noticed that she liked sending pictures, mostly of herself in what the poor soul assumed were sexy poses. But there were two pictures that caught her attention; one was of her, the other one of her and Robin.

They were taken at Granny's the day the kids were playing outside. The one with her, she was sitting with the older woman and the other one was taken when Robin made her go and hit the ball with a bat. It was when they kissed.

And right under that picture she wrote a_ 'really, is that who you married, a midget?_'

Scoffing at the audacity of the woman, she decided right in that moment that she didn't like this Marian. Calling her a midget? Please.

As if in automatic, she played the audio he sent in response, listening to his voice one time, and then a second time.

'_Come on, don't be petty and just drop it already.'_

Trying to decide what that meant, she read some of the messages… he was cutting through most of them, but before she could really form an opinion of what was really going on between those two, the phone started to vibrate in her hand.

It was Marian again and caught in one of those moments were she knew she shouldn't do something but doing it anyway, she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

And just like that Marian hung up.

"Stupid bitch." She mumbled, and just because she didn't want Robin questioning her anything, she put the phone down and went to knock on his door. She wasn't even going to let him know he had her phone because she really didn't want him to know Marian has been calling.

He answered quick enough. "What is it now?"

"I'm willing to negotiate, whatever you want but please, let's just do dinner with them so they can be done and gone."

He used the tip of his tongue to run it over his lips. "I'll think about." With that said, he closed the door on her face.

A little annoyed but feeling better with the improvement, she went to her own room, half of her brain going over her parent's visit and the other part going over Marian and the insistency of her.

Could it be that they had something going on? What if he has been with her that day?

Robin was a very handsome man that could make any woman get infatuated just by his looks, then he was actually amazing in bed so if it wasn't Marian, there was probably someone else. He couldn't be totally on the market, now could he?

"Not of your business." She reminded herself because really, the thing between them couldn't and wouldn't be repeated.

She was glad that her mind was clear on that one… or so she thought because when she finally fell asleep, she dreamt of him opening the door and telling her that for him to play along for her parents, she needed to let him have sex with her. She acceded in the dream, and it was the best dream she's had in a very long time…

TBC

Okay, this one was a step to move forward with next chapter, it just came out longer that what I expected. Anyway, I'm really thinking of making the next one a Robin's POV. I didn't do it before because I wanted to keep him a bit of a mystery (as he doesn't reveal too much of himself) but I think it could work now. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

Robin woke up to the distinct sound of a phone buzzing near him. The noise coming off from the device was muffled but insistent and definitely not the one he was used to hear out of his iPhone, but because his mind was still struggling to crawl out from the deep slumber he has been submerged into he reached for it and answered it before giving into too much thought.

"Yeah?" He groaned, his eyes closed and the usually professional manner in which he was accustomed to answer his calls long forgotten.

It was a Saturday morning so it wasn't like it was a work call anyway…

"Who is this?" A petulant voice demanded to know from the other side of the line and this time he did open his eyes, his vision a bit blurred and his brows knitting in confusion.

"It's Robin, and you are?"

"I want to talk to my daughter, now." The caller scoffed, this time the tone dry and firm and for a second there was a hint of recognition.

Yes… he has heard the voice before, many times actually because every time the woman called and her daughter wouldn't want to answer, it was up to him to give whatever excuse in behalf of his boss.

Meaning? This was Cora Mills talking.

The question was, why was she calling him? Pulling the device from his ear, he looked at the phone's screen and saw the name displayed there, it was then when he realized this wasn't his phone, it was Regina's.

'Shit.' He said in his mind and after clearing his throat, he put the phone back against his ear. "Mrs. Mills, um your daughter…" He stopped there, cringing because he wasn't attending a work call now, this was supposed to be his mother in law and already he could say this first impression has been terrible. "Regina is actually still sleeping."

"Well wake her up, I have five minutes before this plane takes off so make haste." Then as an afterthought she added. "Sleeping so late, tsk it's preposterous."

Knowing better than arguing with the older woman, Robin took in a deep breath and getting to his feet, he told her to give him a second; then, cussing under his breath he walked out of his room and straight towards Regina's.

He was fully awake now, his mind trying to figure out how he ended up with the woman's phone.

Not like that was important in that moment so knocking on her door, he ran a hand down his face and waited, wanting nothing more than to get over with this little mixed up.

There was no answer though and aware that the clock was ticking, he took the liberty of pushing the door open so that he could walk in.

Now, Regina… this was the first time he ever walked into the privacy of her chambers but he wasn't exactly surprised of what he found. He has shared a bed with her in a few occasions now so he has kind of known what to expect: from the scent taking all over the room to the sight that greeted him.

She was there, laying on her stomach right across the bed, face turned to the side but buried into the soft mass of her dark hair, one leg drawn up while the other one stretched straight over the mattress.

In that position, her ass was upturned towards him and because she was wearing some very revealing lace boyshorts that were kind of see through, he was getting quite an eyeful.

He didn't let his eyes linger though and forced them to focus on anything but her frame.

"Regina." He whispered once he was by the bed. She didn't even stir so he called again. "Hey, your mother wants to talk to you."

He got nothing so he went ahead and touched her shoulder, moving her a little and feeling thankful that she was at least wearing a camisole instead of being topless.

At this, Regina hummed, a sound so low he had to strain his ear to catch, but instead of waking up she just pushed her drawn up leg even further from her body and thus, making her ass even more appealing to the view.

He could touch her if he just reached a little and his fingers craved to do it, to easily settle there and roam around the ample flesh. Maybe even slide up her spine just to see her arch her back or down the curve that lead to her sex to see her squirm under his touch.

Groaning because having those kind of thoughts about her when he was still mad was the last thing he needed, he sat on the bed and grabbed her shoulders to lift her up.

She came up easily enough and even turned to him, her eyes opening a little and her hand reaching for her hair to brush it off her face.

She didn't say anything though, and before she could even think on asking, he put the phone to her ear. "It's your mother, talk to her."

Her lips pouted a little and her eyes closed. It made him think that she went back to sleep and it wouldn't surprise him because as he has been finding out since that first night in Italy, Regina Mills was a little weird when it came to sleeping.

From stripping to talking nonsense and yes, even snuggling and getting touchy friendly, and all that she apparently did without being aware of it. It made him wonder how they were going to pull this sharing a bedroom thing once again and keep it professional because yes, given time he could behave… but he wasn't sure if he could so soon. Not when everything was still so fresh in his mind.

Making echo of his thoughts, Regina's hand dropped from her hair and it came to land on his knee, that was how close they were.

Looking down, Robin couldn't help but to wonder why it was that he has never been one to hold a grudge for too long because well, right now his resolution was a bit shaky. It was his fault though, because if he would have remained in his flat like he has done yesterday for the entire weekend as he has planned, this wouldn't be happening right now.

"Talk to her." He insisted, ignoring the touch of her hand as it was only that, a simple touch of someone who was clearly more asleep than awake.

On her part, Regina groaned something he couldn't quite comprehend, but when all of a sudden the voice of Cora came out loud enough so he could hear it, her eyes snapped open and the pout, the one that could be considered as cute and maybe even sexy on those full lips of hers turned into a snarl.

She didn't say anything to whatever it was that Cora was saying, she just listened, her expression going from annoyed to stoic in a matter of seconds.

It was only when her mother was apparently done that she closed her eyes again as she basically threw herself back to bed, her hands covering her face as she chuckled humorlessly.

"God, why don't you kill me now?"

Blinking slowly, his eyes inadvertently roamed down her body because the camisole, the one he has been glad she was wearing wasn't doing much to hide the curves of her frame. He could clearly see the outline of her breast under the thin fabric and well, since it had a low cut, it wasn't leaving much to the imagination.

And that was without mentioning her underwear because the same way they were see through from behind, they were also upfront.

Moving his eyes back to her face, Robin sighed loudly. Checking out this woman was the last thing he should be doing. Yes, he was only a man like any other and the memory of what happened between them still betrayed him; it was all too fresh in his mind, so fresh he could almost feel her.

From they way she tasted and smelled to how her skin felt under his touch, so soft and firm at the same time. Hell, if he wanted to he could even recall how wet she has been for him or even hear the raspy moans coming from her as she gladly received him into the welcoming heat of her sex while kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

All that was something quite hard to forget, especially when she was temptingly looking the way she did in that moment. But he has made a promise to himself to never go weak for her again and that was exactly what he was going to do.

He needed to stand firm in that resolution, first because she was still his boss and second, because she made it very clear that what happened between them was never going to repeat itself and he didn't want to be the loser pinning for a woman that was clearly not interested.

And seriously, what the bloody hell had he been thinking by hooking up with her? He has known her for far too long to know that he shouldn't have let himself be dragged into the moment.

He knew how her mind worked, how she never allowed anyone in so he should have kind of anticipated she was going to react the way she did. In a way he did and that's why he tried to resist at first, but still… he went ahead with the whole thing to then be surprised at the results.

If anything, that made him a bloody idiot and he was not interested in playing the part anymore.

With that in mind and burying every thought about her that wasn't business related far from reach, he put her phone by her side and cleared his throat.

"Where's my phone?" He asked, his tone even and his eyes glued to the way she moved her hands from her face to look at him.

"What?" She asked, a frown on her face as she looked around, her eyes settling on anything but him.

"My phone, where is it?"

"How am I supposed to know where you keep your things? I'm not your nanny." She snapped defensively, dragging a blanket from across the mattress to throw it against her.

Taking the cue that he was making her uncomfortable by being there, Robin quickly got to his feet and exited her bedroom, as he didn't want to make things even more awkward.

Once out, he found the phone over the counter and after grabbing it to see if he had missed anything important, he scrolled through. There was nothing, just the usual missed call from Marian and a message from Little John about Granny's upcoming birthday.

Now, Marian was a constant caller and an even more insistent texter, especially now that she knew he got married. It was a bit annoying but yeah, sometimes he picked up. Right now it was going to be one of those times when he wouldn't humor her. He had enough with Regina to also worry about a woman who clearly had nothing good to put on the table anyway so the call was not going to be even addressed.

"Are you going to do it? Dinner with my parents."

Upon hearing her voice, Robin turned around to face her. She was by the counter, barefoot, the blanket over her, hair all tousled and her eyes anxiously digging into his.

In that moment, she differed greatly from the high maintenance image she liked to portray in front of everybody and he couldn't help but to scoff. The fact that he ended up in that situation with her still a bit surreal.

Regina, Regina… for the last two years, he has been working close to her and he had formed this image of a heart-cold woman unable to show any kind of emotion that wasn't annoyance.

She was smart, yes, brilliant when it came to business but she lacked on interpersonal skills and being the outgoing bloke that he was, that had always rubbed him the wrong way.

Now she wasn't so bad once you got to know her quirks and perks and when he found out she had a smart-mouth on her he made sure to every once in a while rile her up just to escape the monotony of her long silences and crappy moods, but even though she unknowingly humored him in that aspect, he still believed she was off in so many ways.

He remembered how she once sent him to buy the best Whiskey he could find; he did, and she even made him have it wrapped up nicely only to receive the bloody thing as a gift a week later, a day ahead of his birthday.

He always thought that has been messed up as hell but that was the Regina he has known, detached, so he tried to at least be content with the fact that she has made an attempt to do something nice.

But now, in the bizarre relationship they had he was seeing how there was more to her. It was weird, but living with her made him realize that she was actually a land of contradictions.

There was certain softness in her, a hidden vulnerable woman who didn't exactly know how to deal with her emotions so instead of facing them, she did her best to bury them; then where he had believed her to be cold he was finding out she was more of a firecracker. She was impulsive in a reckless kind of way and that was something that took him by surprise. It made him stay on his toes when it came to her and he wasn't going to lie, it woke up certain curiosity in him.

Add to that to the way she looked and how she willingly opened up to him by confiding about her life and struggles and that was it for him. It was as if she was suddenly a whole new woman so yes, you could consider him interested.

Hell, he could even say that he started to care.

Now… said interest has been something controlled and he didn't let it affect their interactions… well, at least not too much. Yes, there has been that time where he wavered, back at Granny's when he stupidly kissed her, but he has been able to kick out of that one without so much of a repercussion.

But then, Mary Margaret's party came to be and the balance he has been able to create was no more.

He should have said no, he knew it, but like he stated, he was only a man like any other and in his condition of being a plain mortal, he hasn't been able to refuse for long the offer she threw at him.

Who would have anyway? Because when a woman of the caliber of Regina Mills gave you the chance of a night with her you just jumped into it without giving it too much thought.

Sure, it all went to shit too fast too soon, but he could at least be satisfied with the fact that in the physical aspect, he milked the opportunity for all it's was worth it, twice!

Now it was true that he has wanted more than just taking her to bed, but all things considered, things could have ended way worse. He was mad, yes, more with him than with her, but when it came to the fairer sex he had to admit that he has gone through much worse than Regina giving him the cold shoulder. Like when he had to go on after the woman he has loved cheated on him, got pregnant by another man and tried to pin the baby on him so this was basically nothing.

As for the Milan thing? It was a career boost so even though extremely inconvenient, it had also a bright side.

So with all that settled in his mind, Robin shrugged all kind of inappropriate thought or ill wills about his boss away and walking to the fridge, he opened it to take out some juice, her orange juice.

He drank straight from the container just to piss her off.

It was his way of waving a white flag her way. It wasn't much, he knew it, but they couldn't just be at each other's throat for as long as their marriage, fake or not, lasted so little by little he needed to just move on and go back to the peaceful balance they had prior their night together.

If they had to bicker to get there then fine, it was better than being awkward and pissed all the time.

"What the hell are you doing, that's disgusting!" She snapped, her face distorting as she tried to take the container from him.

He didn't give her the chance to even come close, because anticipating her reaction he moved out of her way. "Says the woman who drinks whiskey straight from the bottle."

"That's different." She said, her eyebrow arching and her lips twisting. "The amount of alcohol per volume in whiskey is enough to kill whatever germs that could be passed so it's definitely not the same. I mean did you even brush your teeth?"

"Oh come on." He growled, putting the juice back where it belonged and then, without adding what he really wanted to add about the subject, he started walking away.

Germs… was she serious? They exchanged body fluids last night so it was ridiculous she was worried about him drinking from a container.

"Robin, will you do it or not?"

Halting on his tracks, the blue-eyed man breathed out. He knew the answer to that question since she asked him last night, but because he has been in a full asshole mode he made her suffer a little. "Yeah, I'll do it. But just so you know, I'll collect for that. Double."

She exhaled loudly in relief, and before he could even begin walking again she started rambling about how she was going to call an agency or something like that so that they could send a few girls to clean up the entire house. She also started to instruct him how he needed to dress, where and how he was going to put his stuff in her bedroom and she clearly specified how under any circumstances he should answer her mother's inquiries about how come they married, that one she wanted to handle herself.

Overall, it was a bloody nightmare and he began to question why he agreed to this.

By the time the Mills arrived, in a car she sent for them because she refused to pick them from the airport herself, he was sure this was going to be a long, long night.

After all, it was obvious from first glance that Regina and her mother didn't exactly got along. He knew because they acknowledged each other in an extremely cold manner, so much that he could see his boss turned wife as the frigid person she was at the office. But, with her father the relationship seemed to be better, or at least he believed so judging by the long hug they gave each other and the soft laugh that escaped her as he whispered something in her ear.

As for him, Henry greeted him warmly, even hugging him and welcoming him to his family.

Cora just leered at him. "So this is the husband." She asked dryly.

"Robin, the name's Robin, you don't hear him referring to you as the mother, do you?" Regina said before Robin could even respond.

The older woman's lips twisted at her daughter's words as she looked around the house; it was then when Robin realized where did Regina got most of her improper gestures.

The cold behavior too.

"Did you decorate this place yourself, darling? I mean it's… interesting. Nothing I would ever chose myself but… I can see why it works for you. You see," She went on, this time apparently talking to him. "I wouldn't remember how this place looked because last time we came to visit she sent us to a hotel. Would you believe that?"

"Yeah, back then I hadn't developed the stomach to have us all under the same roof yet. But hey, here we are now, and we haven't started ripping each other apart yet."

"Dramatic as always, I see."

Regina clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Aww I'm touched you remembered, I mean it has been five peaceful years since your last visit so I'm surprised you even remembered you had a daughter. Anyway, why don't you get ready for dinner so we can get over with this."

With that said, Regina swirled on the ball of her feet and walked straight towards her bedroom, closing the door behind her loudly.

Lifting her chin, Cora fixed her hair. "I'm retiring to the bedroom as well. Henry, be a darling and bring me my suitcase."

"Sure." The older man said and just like that all the Mills locked themselves into their respective rooms.

"Okay..." Robin said to no one in particular as he stood by himself in the middle of the living room.

If this was how Regina grew up, then no wonder why she was so bad when dealing with others. That entire family was awkward as hell; the mother seemed like a real piece of passive aggressive work, the daughter bit back hard and the father wouldn't take sides and just limited to be a silent observant of such wretched behavior.

It was all so wrong.

Shaking himself off the weird scene, Robin went to Regina's room and after a soft knock he let himself walk in. He found her pacing and clearly pissed off.

"Well… you have a lovely family."

Stopping on her tracks and shooting daggers with her eyes, Regina lifted a finger to him. "Don't start, Locksley, I'm not in the mood."

With that said, she went into the bathroom to get ready. After a while he could hear the shower running so he talked loud enough for her to listen.

"This is going to be worse than swallowing bleach so I don't know, I think I'll have to collect triple now. I canceled my plans for this Regina."

She said nothing and he decided not to push her buttons too hard and instead he invested his time in getting ready as well.

The time spent in that room started to feel awkward the moment Regina walked out in nothing but a towel wrapped around her before disappearing into her walk-in closet. When she came back, she was wearing a black dress that even thought not too revealing, hugged her frame in such a way that her curves were nicely defined.

He tried not too look too much, too long, but hey, it was almost impossible because the truth was that she looked stunning.

Now yes, under his eyes, his boss has always been easy to look at. She had a nice body and a pretty face to match but it has never been something that would stay on his mind constantly.

He looked at her, discreetly, every once and then but nothing more. A furtive peek at her cleavage, an appreciative glance at her ass as her hips swayed whenever she walked in front of him and sure, why not, at her legs when they were on display. But to him all those nice attributes were not enough to forget her attitude so to him, they were just that, something to look at every now and then but never with the intention of making something out of it…

But now… now he knew what was underneath that dress, he experienced how it was to have those legs around him as he came inside of her because yes, shockingly enough she let him fucking do that to her; he's also had his mouth and tongue down that cleavage and he's felt the perfect toned flesh of her ass filling the palms of his hands and all that was something hard to overlook.

Then there was that mouth of hers, and as she applied some lipstick in front of the mirror, he couldn't help but to remember the sweet taste of her lips on him, first kissing him and then sliding along the length of his erection before sucking him into her mouth…

"If we're lucky, my mother will go first thing in the morning."

Taken out of his dirty thoughts, Robin blinked a few times before responding. He has been finishing putting on his shoes while sitting on her bed so he acted as if that needed his entire attention.

"And if she doesn't?"

"She will, I know her. She just came here for show so once she gets her attention she's going to be out. Now come on, let's get over with this damn circus."

With that said, she slipped on her heels, put on a bit of perfume and out the door she was.

As he should have expected, Regina called for a limo to pick them up and once in there, they made the trip relatively quiet. There was some light conversation between father and daughter but that was it, Cora remained completely silent during.

It was only when they were seated by the table that the woman decided to talk. "So are you going to tell us why we had to find out our daughter got married through other people?"

As if expecting the question, Regina put down her glass of wine and with a dangerous glint in her eyes she smiled. It was a fake one, even Robin could see that and he had to chime in before the two women would start bickering back and forth.

"I'll have to take the blame for that. I proposed and well, guess we took the opportunity of a trip to Italy to just go for it. It was a thing of the moment so we actually had no invitees."

"Italy, such a lovely place. It would be any young couple's dream destination for a wedding." Henry said and Robin agreed, completely ignoring the murderous look Regina was sending his way.

He even went as far as reaching for his wife's hand so that he could lace their fingers together.

"It is indeed the perfect destination, and to top it off it was a lovely day with gorgeous views and your daughter looked completely stunning. We have the pictures back home so remind me to show them to you."

"It was better than my first wedding. I mean at least I wasn't forced to it." Regina said and Robin couldn't help but to arch an eyebrow while looking at her. "Did I ever tell you I was almost a child bride?" She added, talking directly to him and he squeezed her hand as a way to tell her to cut it.

Was she seriously pushing for a confrontation?

As a reply to the look she was receiving, Regina dug her nails into his hand, a devious smile intact on her face.

"And look where it got you, you inherited everything you needed to do well in life. Power, money; you made a name of yourself out of that marriage."

"And look where it got you, living your best life out of the money of my hard work after selling me out. So cheers."

Getting uncomfortable, Robin shifted on his seat as his boss drank her wine in one gulp and he made a mental note on having her slow down with the drinking.

He didn't need a repeat of the things that happened whenever she drank a bit too much.

"So tell us a little about you, Robin Locksley." Cora, continued, not bothered in the sightless by Regina's attitude. "You are not leeching off my daughter, are you?"

"Seriously?" Regina scoffed.

Clearing his throat, Robin flashed his best smile. "Not at all. I do well for myself, I mean I may not be in Regina's level economically but I can't complain."

"Do you even own a place? I couldn't help to notice you chose to live at my daughter's."

He heard Regina complain about her mother's question but he answered anyway.

"I do, I have a flat downtown and an estate in Sherwood."

"An estate, now that's interesting."

"It's more of an institution for children."

"A boarding school?"

"More like an orphanage." He added, feeling Regina's eyes on him.

He knew her mind was running about this latest piece of information he just gave because he has never mentioned how the house in Sherwood was his.

He bought it some years ago when Granny was about to be forced to sale and even though it was an investment that gave him no profit whatsoever, he was glad he did.

It prevented the kids from being relocated, it gave Granny something to do and as far as he was concerned it put the money he busted his arse to earn and save when he believed he was going to be a father to good use.

So yeah, maybe it was not much and maybe his flat wasn't as big as Regina's house, but he was proud of it because it has his, he worked hard for it as nobody gave it to him.

"You married a philanthropist. I'm impressed. I mean it's not something that will put food on the table but it's… noble. So tell me about your parents."

"Why did you come here, mother, I mean seriously? Because I doubt it was to chit-chat over dinner." Regina asked before Robin could even open his mouth.

Letting out a small laugh that held no trace of amusement, Cora set her eyes on her daughter.

"Well, I wanted to know how bad you screwed yourself over this time and see if I could still do some damage control. No offense, Robin, but it's just that for being such an intelligent woman, Regina here has a history of being completely reckless when it comes to her personal life. You hear her talking about how we ruined her life by marrying her off to Leopold but she never mentions how it was her the one who threw it all overboard by wallowing like some common whore with the stable boy. And that one was just the first of many, right?"

Robin actually did a double take at that, his face showing nothing but disbelief. He was speechless, and apparently so was Regina.

"You had the perfect life panned out for you, but instead of using the opportunity to make something out of you, you just went ahead and brought shame to your husband so of course he was going to react badly, or was it that you expected a round of applause?"

Regina's eyes got a bit wider as her jaw set firmly. She was mad, he could tell by the dangerous glint in her eyes, her flushed cheeks and the vein that wanted to pop out of her forehead. She said nothing though, but because he could feel her ire emanating from her in huge waves, he held tighter on her hand when she tried to pull it away.

"And all for what, for that ridiculous need of yours to be loved? Tell me, where did that take you, you stupid girl?"

Without giving him time to react, Regina yanked her hand away and slammed it against the table. "You know what, I lost my appetite so feel free to finish your dinner without me."

With that said, she got to her feet and without saying more she walked out of the restaurant.

"Did you really have to push her that far?" Henry asked between bites.

Shrugging and having a sip of her wine, Cora closed her eyes for a second. "Ah, she'll get over it, you know she has always been overdramatic."

Looking from one Mills to the other, Robin scoffed. They were eating as if nothing was amiss and he couldn't lie, he was shocked.

"You'll have to excuse me because I was taught better than to lower myself at your level of disrespect, but I just need to say this; you two should really be ashamed of yourselves. That woman who just walked out of here all upset, the one you insult and offend is your daughter, your own flesh and blood and you just sit here as if putting her down is a normal thing to do? You're unbelievable."

"We have nothing to be ashamed other than our daughter's wretched behavior, as everything we've done is for her own good."

"Oh so marrying her off to a man who abused her was for her own good? Was leaving her alone and then patronizing her for her best interest? I'll tell you what I think, not only did you completely failed as parents but as human beings, it's disgusting what you've done."

"You don't know what you're talking about, you don't know Regina like we do. You may be severely disappointed by this, but before you know it she'll ruin you the same way she did Leopold."

"I think you two are the ones who don't know her and like I said, it's a shame you're missing on her. Now if you'll excuse me, I lost my appetite too."

After saying that and feeling more than a little pissed off himself, Robin walked out of the restaurant, looking for Regina.

He found her on a nearby park, sitting on a bench and staring off into the distance.

Now, from his vantage point, he couldn't see her face but he definitely could see there was an unlit cigarette in her hand. He found that odd since he has never seen the woman smoke, so when he approached, the first thing he did was take it from her hands while sitting by her side.

"A cigarette, really?"

The brunette looked up at him, her rosy colored lips slightly pouted and her stare shining. She wasn't crying, which was a good thing since he wouldn't have known how to deal with The Regina Mills being in that level of upset. But her nose was a bit red and he was sure the brightness in her eyes had more to do with her being close to shedding a tear or two.

"Can't find a damn lighter." She said, her tone firm even when a little raspy.

"And since when do you smoke?"

She shrugged, looking away. "Left it years ago, but there's something about Cora that always makes me loose control. God, I can't with her, I really can't. She just makes the worse of me come out and right now I think smoking this stupid thing is going to make me feel better."

"It won't." He said, throwing it away. Then, pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Robin bent forward, resting his elbows to his knees so he could be somehow closer to her. "So, your mother… she's quite a number, uh? Kind of makes me feel glad I grew up in an orphanage."

Regina snorted, lifting her eyes so that she could stare into his eyes. In the gesture, her lips curved slightly at the same time that her tongue peeked out to press quickly to the corner of her mouth.

Unable to stop them, his eyes followed the movement…

"Lucky you. I mean really, Granny is great." She stopped there, tilting her head to the side. "Do you really own it, the house?"

Robin just nodded, his hands gravitating towards hers until their knuckles were touching. He didn't look for more than that and since she didn't repel the light contact, he lingered there.

"What she said back there, she was wrong. You owe nothing to Leopold and nothing justifies what he did to you so don't let her get into your head."

"Yeah, but she's not completely wrong about me always messing up when it comes to my personal life. I mean I did really, really did some very stupid things."

"Well so what? We all do. We mess up, we fall, we get knocked down and then we get up and that's life, we learn and grow from everything.

Nodding and yes, sniffing, Regina's left leg leaned a little into him and her knee lightly brushed against his. "I know."

Robin set his eyes on his shoes, his fingers itched to move towards hers so that he could touch her, but he didn't. He didn't want to push it.

"But still… ugh, she just makes me so mad." Blowing out a breath and lifting her hands up in the air just to let them fall back into her lap, Regina shrugged and focused her eyes up into the sky. "I'm sure she gets a kick out of it. It's like her kink to rile me up. As for me, oh boy I think I'm just messed up."

"Aren't we all?"

She looked at him, her eyes still bright, maybe even moist. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this circus." Her hand got nearer to his and their knuckles touched once again. "And for being such an asshole and all that."

Moving her hand to his, Regina intertwined her fingers with his. For a few seconds they remained like that and he just looked at their joined hands. His was much larger than hers and as his eyes drank on that image, his thumb ran lazy patterns over her skin. "It's alright, after two years I'm used to you well, being you."

His eyes moved automatically to the warmness of her brown orbs only to find her already looking. It was like a déjà vu moment, and as if knowing already how to react he leaned into her as soon as he saw her doing the same, getting closer and closer until his lips were pressed to hers.

She received him with her lips already parted so he didn't waste any second and just went it, stroking his tongue to hers as his hands moved up to grab her face.

He did that as if he has done it a thousand times before, angling his head the right way as all ten of his fingers buried into her hair.

Now, just like a few days ago, the feeling of her tongue moving against his still had the potency of clouding all rational thought and the taste of her was so familiar that he felt somehow overwhelmed.

It also made him remember why this was wrong, why he couldn't fall for this again.

"Regina… this is definitely not a good idea." He hissed, not quite pulling away from her so that his breath was a hot caress against her lips. His hands were still on her too, holding the back of her head so that he could tilt her face towards him.

"I know." She whispered, her eyes closed and her forehead pressing to his.

For what felt like an eternity, they remained like that. All until he took a deep breath and pulled away. "So, Uber?"

Blinking her eyes open, she cleared her throat. "No, you go ahead and take one. I don't feel like going home."

"And you think I'll leave you out here on your own?"

Narrowing her eyes and wrinkling her nose, Regina scoffed. "I can take care of myself."

"I know. But still…" He considered what he was about to say next. He knew it probably won't be a good idea but still… still he asked. "Why don't we go back to my place until you feel somehow better, just lay low for a little… in a chaste manner."

Regina chewed on hers lips and took a deep breath, then, surprising them both, she agreed to go…

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Meeting with Cora was like riding a rollercoaster straight to hell.

At least that was the feeling Regina always ended up having whenever her mother decided to show up so they could have one of their infamous one on one's.

It was always the same thing… the ride would take off slowly, the incline as she climbed higher and higher making her feel a dreadful sensation settling in the pit of her stomach eating her inside out and yet, she would sit still, knowing what was coming but unable to do anything but go as high as she could.

There would be an adrenaline rush as she ascended to the top of that rollercoaster, reaching the acme of the structure and she would feel defiant and ready to take on anything when she was up there, on top. But then, immediately after that short unvanquished sweet moment, gravity would rip her apart and she would fall, hard and fast.

It was then when she would start loosing control, when everything became a blur and her unruly nature would come out, indomitable as always.

It was like falling into a hellish nightmare straight into her mother's trap and despite her best efforts to hold on, the older woman would always ascend the victorious one.

It was an awful fall, and after having her adrenal glands going into full throttle, the crash as she finally reached the bottom was so abrupt that for a moment she would have to stay still, all her emotions vacating her still shaking body until she would feel nothing but a dull sense of loss taking over her… making her feel empty, as if she turned into nothing but the meaningless carcass of the strong woman she usually was.

That was the worst part of meeting with her mother, the aftermatch of it all and perhaps the most dangerous as she always ended up doing things she would regret later on. If she had to be completely honest, she would have to admit that she was still trying to crawl out of that stage in that moment, feeling a little numb and definitely not in her full element but on the verge of just auto combust.

"You'll have to excuse the mess… I haven't been around here much to tidy up… but, um do you want something to drink? I do have some stuff in my fridge."

Taken out of her trance, Regina blinked slowly as her face tilted a little to the side so that she could take a look at the man who just spoke the words.

They've just walked into his apartment and after having closed the door to the outside world, he was now there, waiting for her to reply.

Shaking her head no and tearing her eyes away from him, the dark-haired woman folded her arms to her chest while taking a look around Robin's place.

It wasn't like she was overly curious, but focusing on her surroundings was better than being overwhelmed by the memory of what happened back at the restaurant so that's what she did, look around.

Now there wasn't so much of a mess like he said but it wasn't as immaculate as she would have things in her own house. Like, there was an empty pizza box sitting over the small kitchen table, there were a couple of cups in the sink and in the black leather sofa sitting in the middle of the living room she could see the tie he has been wearing the day before for work as well as his shirt.

There were also a pair of shoes by the door, two motorcycle helmets hanging where the coats were supposed to go and some beer bottles on his coffee table. Those he was now hurrying to clean up and for a few seconds she just watched him do it.

Overall it wasn't so bad as she has expected. Sure, as for the apartment per se, the place wasn't so big but the open layout made it bearable and yeah, she had to give it up to him because it was nicely put together for a bachelor's pad.

"You ride?" She asked, her voice a bit hoarse. It made her clear her throat as she lifted a hand to touch one of the helmets.

"From time to time." He looked up, his eyes settling on hers for a few seconds before going back to clearing his scattered clothes off the sofa.

Humming, Regina moved from the door and made it into the living room, her interest picking. She has never ridden a motorcycle in her life but in that moment, the possibility of being able to sounded appealing.

If she wouldn't be wearing a damn dress she could even see herself going for it as it was something that could help her get out of her funk.

Back when she was younger, there was nothing like the thrill of riding her horse as fast as he would go to make her feel better after a confrontation with her mother and well, since she hasn't gotten in a horse in long years, she guessed a bike was the closest thing to it.

"So do you own one or what?"

Robin was back at looking at her so she arched an eyebrow, taking a seat on the sofa while she reciprocated his stare.

"I have one, yeah. Why?"

"Just asking." She shrugged, saying nothing more.

At her response, his eyes narrowed a little, but he didn't push it and instead sat down with her, clasping his hands together and leaning forward a little.

"So do you feel better yet?"

As Robin asked that, Regina pushed herself back into the sofa, her eyes glued to his. "Better? Not really, but if you mean to ask in case I'll go psycho crazy on you then you can relax. I usually don't take it on anyone but myself. That's why I am my own worse enemy."

And really, she has never taken her frustrations out on anyone. She liked the process of auto-destruction better, doing things that would harm no one but herself.

"Well I don't think that sounds any better. Or healthy."

Scoffing, Regina ran a hand through her hair. She was still feeling numb but not yet in the phase where she would feel like she needed something to make her feel back on track, something that would make her blood pump fast into her veins.

"I'm not going to do anything, relax."

"How about talking about it, do you want to do that?"

Leering at him, she bit into her hard into lips before replying. "I don't need a therapist to help me with my mommy issues." Her tone was harsh and far from amicable, but after analyzing her words she added. "Okay so maybe I do but I don't need you to do the job. What I need is a drink. Do you have anything other than beer?"

"Not for you. Do you really face all your unresolved issues with alcohol?" He asked and this time she turned a sideways so she could face him.

In any other occasion and with any other person, Regina would have snapped and point out that how she resolved her issues was her own damn problem, but she was tired, mentally drained and she didn't have in herself to argue… especially not with him.

"Well, it's better than drugging myself into a stupor. I tried that once and it was the worse thing ever."

His brows furrowed and he made a grimace that was half scowl half smirk. "Seriously, Regina?"

She shrugged. "It was a long time ago. I've done other things too, most of them stupid as hell… and you want to know why? Because my mother is right and I am a fucking mess."

"Okay look…" He started to say; she cut him off.

"And don't even try to give me a cheap peep talk about how she is wrong and I'm better than that because you don't know. You don't know me, Robin."

No… and if he did he wouldn't even be there.

At her words, Robin took in a deep breath. "You're right, I don't know all there is to you so why don't you enlighten me about it."

A bitter laugh escaped her and she pushed herself forward so that she could be closer to him while maintaining her eyes on his.

She could say nothing to that, she knew it and she probably shouldn't. No matter the circumstances Robin was an employee that already had enough juice on her to destroy her so she really shouldn't be throwing more wood into the fire; but for some reason she felt like baring it all out.

Putting it all out meant that maybe he would stop looking at her like she was worth something and maybe, just maybe if he stopped looking at her like that she wouldn't be having that stupid urge of kissing him until there would be nothing in her mind but the feeling of him kissing her back.

"What she said about my marriage is true. I could have gone by under the radar with him if I just kept out of his way. But I didn't and instead I would do things to rile him up, to make him go out of his mind and more often than not that's why he always ended up hurting me, because I was so messed up that I looked for the confrontation."

"Regina, nothing justifies the fact that he would hurt you."

"Not even taking a lover under his roof? Because I did, not only with Daniel but with his top security guy as well, and that one just so he would find out. I wanted him to know so he would do something, hopefully file for a divorce or just go with it and hurt me so bad so that anyone would care enough to get me out of that house."

Her voice trembled a little as she said that last statement, but not enough to come out completely broken. She was over that, over Leopold and everything that happened in her marriage so she couldn't let it affect her now.

"Not even that." He said, unclasping his hands so that he could take her hands in his instead. "And this comes from someone who was played dirty. I… think I told about how Marian got pregnant by someone else while we were still together and that she tried to pin the baby on me, but I never said how I only found out after the baby was born. She let me believe it was mine for a few months, and not even after finding the truth out did the though of laying a hand on her crossed my mind."

Blinking her eyes a couple of times at the mention of the woman's name attached to such a confession, Regina allowed her eyes to roam along his face, starting on his eyes, taking on the strong outline of his jaw and finishing on his lips.

She wanted to ask him about the woman because there were so many question flooding her mind, but she decided to leave that for another time, if the opportunity ever presented itself.

"That's because you're one of the good ones, Leopold wasn't. I'm not either."

"Well… I've done some shitty things myself so it's not like I'm Saint Robin, you know?"

Puffing out a breath, Regina rolled her eyes. The idea of saying all that was so he could finally understand how messed up in the head she was, not so he could sympathize or maybe even relate to her. "Yeah but I don't think you ever reached my level of shitty."

He snorted, the pad of his finger running smoothly over her wedding ring. "Definitely no, I mean you're quite a handful as I'm finding out. With his top security guard, really?"

Unable to help it, Regina cringed. But at the same time she felt a little bit more at ease in that moment. "Yeah… not one of my proudest moments but on my defense I was young, desperate and stupid." She said remembering Graham and his sloppiness. "And the worse part is that he wasn't even any good."

"Bummer."

She rolled her eyes again and for a while the two of them remained like that, engrossed in their own thoughts and truth be told the silence was deafening.

Now that they were alone after such talk, she couldn't help but to feel kind of awkward, because even though she had agreed to go to his place and act as if all was fine when it came to them, the reality was that things were not completely settled.

They hooked up, and even though it was something they were clearly trying to ignore, the feelings over that one were still there, lurking in the air and wanting to break free.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" He asked in a tentative tone and she wondered if he was feeling the awkwardness as well. "Food, something non alcoholic to drink, anything?"

"I'm fine." She replied lowering her eyes and staring at their joined hands.

Expecting him to answer with one of his witty remarks, Regina looked up to him once again and waited for it to come, but instead of a smart-ass comment what she got was an intense stare from him.

"I don't think you are a mess. I think you're smart, maybe even brilliant. A bit awkward at times which is funny if you think about it, opinionated, more than a little impetuos and not exactly people oriented, but you are not a mess… at least not much." He tried to end that with a bit of humor, at least she thought so judging by the shy smile he flashed her way.

Taking in a deep breath and then slowly letting it escape through her mouth, Regina moved her hand on top of his and spoke. It was her own attempt at a lighthearted comment but somehow it ended up wrong. "Are you just saying that because you want to take me to bed?"

He laughed, his tongue running over his lips once the outburst came out. "You sure are straightforward… but no, I'm not saying it because of that. I mean it's not that I would mind but… last time I did that I earned myself a one way ticket to Milan and a cold shoulder."

Her jaw tensed at that and she had to lower her eyes for a second because he was right, she hadn't reacted the best way to them hooking up. But because she was far from justifying how badly she handled everything, she tried to appeal to his good side.

"It's not a one way ticket… I need someone I can trust to be able to come back and forth since I can't go myself."

And yes, that was the main reason she chose him, it was just that she failed at giving him a fair warning before throwing the news at him.

"Yeah." Robin whispered as he rested his back against the sofa and as he did so he never took his eyes away from hers.

The way he was looking at her was as if he wanted to say something but was keeping it to himself and that made her feel like she was being scrutinized. It made her feel antsy.

Running a hand through her dark locks once more, the brown eyed woman chewed hard on her lips, thinking that the reason she was feeling like that was because his eyes were tearing out of her what she really wanted in that moment but was trying to hide.

She wanted him. She still wasn't sure why or how that came to be, but she realized that the moment she woke up with the man sitting on her bed earlier that day as he stirred her up; and if there has been any doubt about it, it dissolved when they kissed back at the park.

Hell, she probably knew well before that because she has dreamt of him so yeah, in that moment the thrill of having the man burying deep into her sounded exactly like what she needed.

Why go for the self-sabotage when she could deal with things in a more pleasurable way? If they both knew where they were standing, there was no need to make it awkward afterwards.

It was a physical thing. An itch that needed to be scratched so why don't do it together?

Feeling the rush of having to do something about that need prickling at her, she wondered if it would be alright to go for it.

She could ignore it and really, that would be for the best. But when had she opted to do what was better? And the fact that he was looking at her like that wasn't helping her case either.

Swallowing on dry, she looked at him, for a second feeling sucked into the blue deepness of his eyes. "I wouldn't mind it either. You know, you taking me to bed."

He nodded slowly, his upper teeth grazing his bottom lip and his eyebrow arching a little. "You don't mind it now, but what about tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I'll probably act like a total bitch or maybe not. Or I could give you a speech about how we shouldn't shit were we eat and how this is all wrong or maybe I won't. I can't vow for tomorrow, I can just talk for right now… and right now I want you. So how…"

Before she could even keep on with her nonsense, Robin silenced whatever she was going to say by cradling her head in his hands to bring her face to his; then when she was a breath away he just pressed his lips against hers and kissed her.

It was a gentle contact; he just brushed his soft lips across her own, perhaps testing to see if she was going to pull away. But she didn't, and finding her pliant enough he caught her lower lip between his teeth, nibbling gently before flicking his tongue across it.

Regina sighed, resting her hands against his chest as she parted her lips for him; he accepted her invitation and glided his tongue into the sweetness of her mouth, nudging and coaxing her to participate in that dance she liked so much.

She did, kissing him back to back and for a while that's all they did, until he pulled away.

"Why do you want me?" Robin eyed her over as he ran the tip of his tongue over his mouth.

Her lips curled a little because she wasn't so much into talking motives and feelings, still she set her hand down on his knee and let it slide a bit further onto his thigh.

"Because you made me feel good the other night, and I want to feel like that again."

Apparently pleased with her answer, his curved. "Alright." He breathed out, his face leaning closer into her so he could brush his lips against the sensitive skin below her ear. "And what exactly was it that made you feel good?"

Her eyes automatically closed and her nails dug a little into his pants. She kind of wanted to tell him to just rip her clothes off so he could have her right there, hard and fast, but there was something about his lips on her skin and the way his breathing brushed against her that made her feel like humoring him.

"Everything." She began to say, her voice low and a bit throaty. "How you touched me. How you felt inside of me."

"Is that so?" Robin dragged his lips a bit lower down her neck and nibbled at her flesh. He did it slowly, his teeth lightly pulling at her skin and his tongue darting out in occasions so he could trace a warm path back to her ear and then all the way beneath her jaw.

As he went on with that, he slid one hand into her hair to hold her in place while the other one went under her dress to tease her, caressing her inner thighs with the lightest of touches and then backing away as far as he could to begin the process anew.

Each time, her knees would give in a little more until he could reach as far as he could go under the dress, his fingers tracing the outline of her underwear but not quite going where she wanted him.

"Are you going to be a tease?"

She asked, moving her own hand the rest of the way up his thigh and straight towards the bulge awaiting for her underneath his pants.

He hissed against her skin, and when she closed the palm of her hand over the length of him, stroking him firmly even though she was restricted by the fabric of his clothes, he chuckled.

"Why the hurry?" He took her hand away from him and placed it over the sofa. "You want me to make you feel good so let me do just that." But even though he said that, he grabbed her right leg and made it go rest over his knee. Soon after his forefinger slipped beneath her panties so that he could touch and delve between her folds, finding as he did that the liquid warm proof that she was already feeling good.

Smiling a satisfied smile while his darkening eyes moved down to see what he was doing, Robin breathed out slowly and Regina followed his eyes. By then her dress was rolled all the way to her hips so she had a clear view and yes, she wasn't going to deny it, she just loved the way a second finger looked moving below her silk panties; one rubbing and going in slow circles around the bundle of sensitive nerves that she kept hidden and the other one pushing lightly against her opening.

"Why don't you spread a bit more for me?" He asked huskily and without waiting for her to do it, he pushed his finger up into the wet opening of her sex.

The angle wasn't the best but the friction it created was insane, so at the invasion, Regina let out a little gasp and her stormy eyes focused on his movements, feeling as Robin worked his finger in and then almost out only to repeat himself in an excruciatingly slow rhythm.

"You like that?"

Regina opened her mouth, but instead of answering she just breathed out. She wanted to reply, she really did, but then he pulled his finger out of her and started to rub the two digits against her clit and once again whatever she was going to say was lost into the moment and instead she moaned softly.

"Of course you like it, look at you…"

Straightening her head, Regina looked into his eyes and licked her lips. "You're really damn tease."

"I'm not, you're just too impatient." After saying that, he took his hand out of her panties and pulled at her dress right above her head; once that was done he grabbed her by the waist and ever so slowly he slid both his hands up her ribcage until he ended up cupping her breasts through the thin fabric of her bra.

"You're really stunning."

With his hands there he touched freely, pinching at her hard nipples, kneading at her flesh, weighting her in his palm and ultimately unclasping and tossing the bra away so he could explore her without any barrier whatsoever.

It felt good, the way his hands touched her and how he was looking at her was really making her feel as if she was floating, but she wanted to do some touching as well so she went to work on his buckle and his pants. Fumbling with them until she was able to make them come undone.

She knew his erection has painfully imprisoned there and that it was probably throbbing and begging for any kind of attention. So with that in mind, she dropped her hand into his pants and searched for him until his flushed erection could finally stand proudly into her hand.

Robin sucked in a breath at the contact and before she could comment on it, his mouth sought for hers so that he could kiss her long and deep.

She kissed him back, her fist working on him in a pace he seemed to enjoy, sliding up and down as he burnt into her hand. She loved it, how hard and firm he felt.

With their tongues dueling and their breaths mingling, the two of them melted against each other, kissing as if there was no tomorrow and no regrets… as if giving into each other was the most natural thing in the world.

And to Regina it somehow felt like it was natural; she kissed with abandon, she allowed him to kiss him however he wanted to and when he pulled her to her feet she went with up with him.

She was just in her panties so wanting him to get rid of his clothes as well, she started pulling at everything. The buttons of his shirt so that they would come undone, his pants so that they would slide down his legs and finally his own underwear so he could be bare of all.

Once he was how she wanted him, her own panties disappeared and her fingers went to run smoothly up his back, and when he pushed his hips against her so that she could feel his erection poking against her stomach she knew she was lost.

Engaged into the moment, Regina felt Robin end the kiss so he could descend his lips down her jaw and towards her collar bone, tracing a warm path with his tongue that sent a shiver down her spine.

Swallowing down and feeling as if every blood cell of her body was alive and going wild inside her skin, Regina breathed in and closed her eyes, her nose invaded with the masculine scent of his cologne.

"Where's your bed?"

Scoffing, he took the hint, lifting her up against him while apparently walking in the direction of his bedroom.

The sudden movement made her gasp as her arms automatically circled his neck, but quickly recovering, she went back into kissing him.

Now, as he moved around, his hands settled on her ass and she held tighter into him, refusing to tear her mouth from his. She didn't even let go when he put her down onto the mattress of his bed, that way making him go down with her.

Once settled in his bed, she spread her legs as far as they would go, making room for him.

"Should I go grab a condom? I think I have some around." He asked and she frowned, thinking that it was a little too late for the question; after all didn't he a few nights ago shot up right inside of her, bareback?

"I have an IUD." And as a requirement for marriage they both got tested and came clean so there was no need for that. "I'll kill you if you pull off now."

"You want it that bad, uh?" He smirked, grinding his hips against her, that way making the tip of his erection set against her entrance.

Regina moaned softly, realizing that all he had to do was give that ultimate push so that his entire length could bury deep past the very essence of her womanhood.

"Yeah, I want it… now." And she did, she wanted it so bad, she needed it. He had to know by how wet she was.

Hissing, he slowly started to slide in, stretching her with his thickness until he was all the way in. "Fuck, Regina-"

At the sound of those words hitting her ear in that sweet accent of his while he completely filled her in, the brunette closed her eyes and pushing her head back, she bit hard on her lips, all ten of her manicured finger-nails digging into his shoulder. "Oh my…"

But then, before finishing the sentence and arching her back, she moved her hands to the nape of his neck and forced his head towards her; then, when she assumed he was close enough she pulled him to her and kissed him hard.

He gave into it, receiving her when she boldly plunged her tongue between his lips and after letting her take control for a few seconds, reciprocating by pushing it back so he could be the one exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Keeping the kiss going, Robin started to thrust his hips forward and then back, going all the way in and then retreating. He repeated the motion, every time he would go back in doing it a little harder, going a little deeper.

In fact he was going so deep that way that she couldn't help but to moan her pleasure away. It felt good, it made her feel exactly as she wanted to feel.

"Does that makes you feel good?" He asked, and when she opened her eyes to nod he grabbed her hips to keep her in place. Then, he sat on his heels, dragging her against him so he wouldn't slip out.

With the angle of his thrusts changing, he wouldn't go as deep as he has been going, but there was something in the way he would possessively grab on her hips as he rocked against her, as he moved inside of her while intently watching her that totally entranced her and made her feel so sexy, and that complemented the loss of the deep thrusts.

"You look so good here in my bed, you feel even better."

Licking her lips and moving a hand down her body, Regina circled his erection with her thumb and middle finger. Now she couldn't go all around him but what she could touch of him felt so damn good as he pushed into her.

"How about that, does it feel good?" She asked, watching as his eyes drank from the image of her.

"Yeah…" He hissed, pulling her legs even farther apart so that he could go back at going deeper.

Loving it, Regina let go of him to give him room to work, her arms going above her head as her breast bounced with the efforts of him moving her against him.

"Oh keep it like that, I love it."

He did as she said, in a few occasions he would even go all the way out just to see himself going back in; first the flushed crown of his erection breaking pass her walls and then his entire length sliding back home until his balls would hit her ass.

Feeling on the verge of breaking apart, Regina watched him. His eyes were wild, his cheeks were tinged with red and he was breathing hard through his mouth.

He wasn't making any noise that would join her low moans though but she could see in his face and in the way he was biting insistently at his lips that it wasn't because he wasn't liking it, it was just because he was totally concentrating on her.

"Feels so good."

Moving his eyes to hers, Robin slid one of his hands until his thumb was occupied with her clit; pressing against it, drawing circles around it and then making his forefinger join so they could flicker it around.

"Tell me how much you like it," He mumbled in a ragged breath; his eyes taking in the image of the way her hips jerked forward with his touch. "I want to hear you, I want you to tell me."

At that, Regina moaned brokenly. "So good… you keep it and I'm not going to last much."

Her eyes closed shut after that statement while his fingers kept manipulating the most sensitive part of her anatomy.

"Don't close your eyes, I want you to look at me when you cum on me."

Parting her lips, Regina opened her eyes. She was about to tell him something, she wasn't even sure what when she felt it, the pressure on her lower stomach exploding as her body completely broke on his hold.

"That's it, love, enjoy it."

Sucking on a breath and then moaning, Regina felt as he went back to using both hands to grab on her, lifting her hips even higher, slamming hard into her as she did everything in her power to keep her eyes open and on him.

It was hard because it all felt like too much and he wasn't really giving her time to recuperate. She couldn't think or say anything coherently so she just moaned and tangled one of her hands into her own hair just to grab it and hold onto something.

It was only when she started to go down back into reality that he lowered her back into the mattress. He went down with her, once again flushed against her, the entire length of his body pressing deliciously into her.

"How was that?" He whispered darkly into her ear.

"Was so good…" She replied, her hands running back and forth from his back and down to his ass.

It felt nice to touch him so she did.

"I want to make you cum again."

"You think you can?" She asked, arching an eyebrow and he snorted.

"Definitely."

She hummed, not quite sure herself, but as he slowly started rocking into her, from time to time he would emit a series of low growls that seemed to be torn right from the most secret parts of his being and if anything, that started to make her libido rise up again so yes, maybe he could.

There was that, and then he was reaching so deep, the sweet friction of him was insane and he felt so good that in no time she was back at feeling out of control.

Desperate to reach the edge again, Regina moved her hands to the top of his head and buried her fingers into his short hair, her legs spreading even more. "Harder."

"Like this?" He groaned, slamming into her.

"Yes… yes like that."

Her moans started to come more often and her hips began moving forward and he kept at it. By then her fingers were pulling softly at his hair and then she would add pressure with her legs so he could go deeper and stronger.

Then in a matter of nothing she cried out as he made her reach the apex of her passion again.

It happened in a blur, and as she rode the sensation away he kept pushing into her contracting entrance, moving within her, taking on the liquid warm sensation that received him every time he would thrust into her.

"Oh my God." She was able to breathe out as he licked at his teeth, resting against her chest, thrusting in and out as his body melted against hers.

"So… good, you feel so fucking good."

"I want to feel you cum in me." She hissed when she felt how close he was and he groaned before clumsily searching for her lips so he could kiss her long and deep.

His own relief came soon enough; with Regina pushing her hips off the mattress with every single thrust he would make as he emptied all there was in him deep into her.

When he was done, he breathed out, pressing his forehead to hers while he remained still inside of her.

Instinctively, her lips searched out for his, tongues intertwining as he tugged at her lips with his teeth. They kissed liked that for quite sometime, and it was only when she felt him slip out of her that she broke away and opened her eyes to look at him.

"I know this is not a good moment to say this… but… we basically left your parents off in the street. They don't have a key…"

Regina blinked a couple of times and then, before she could help it, a laugh busted out of her. She didn't know why because there was nothing funny about it, but still, she laughed.

"Okay…" Robin began to say, his eyes narrowing.

"You know what, screw them." With that said, she pulled his head back into hers so she could kiss him.

She didn't know it, but that was the exact moment Robin decided that he wasn't going to let her pull away from him ever again.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N**: So thank you very much for the great reviews, they definitely keep me motivated to write these two fools who clearly don't know how to communicate, Lol. Hope you keep enjoying!

**THE PROPOSAL**

Regina wasn't exactly sure when or how it happened, but apparently, all trace of common sense has abandoned her and now irrationality was taking over her entire being.

How that came to be eluded her; it could be that her mind vacated her body for the time being, that the stars had aligned to make her act at their will or maybe that the last encounter with her parents was still affecting her deeply. Whatever it was, the result was that her better judgment was failing her and it was failing her big time.

She basically just lost it… sometime during the night she definitely went off-course and now that a new day has begun, she still hadn't recuperated her way.

It was weird and she really didn't know how to explain it, but if there was something she knew it was that if she would be in her right mind then she wouldn't be there feeling like what she was doing was the most natural thing in the world.

It feel good, yes, and he definitely felt comfortably warm against her, but cuddling with someone in the aftermatch of a hook up was something she wasn't used to do and she couldn't quite comprehend how was it that she wasn't yet freaking out on it.

She should be doing just that, she knew she did… or at least sneaking away so that maybe she could start gathering some common sense. But instead of acting in regular manner there she was, drinking on the feeling of having one of his arms wrapped around her, absorbing the natural heat of his skin as if it was her own and her ear getting used to the steady rhythm of his heart beating inside his chest.

And all that while having one of her legs casually thrown over him and his hand heavily resting on her hip.

Sighing deeply as her mind went over the current events, the dark-haired woman's fingers twitched slightly as her hand moved. She did it ever so slowly, the movement barely perceptive as it ran over his ribcage.

Now, as she thought about what happened the night before between her and Robin, Regina decided that letting herself be swamped over the moment was not as bad as it could be so the thing that bothered her wasn't exactly the sex.

No, sex was a simple act, at times a meaningless one so she if she wanted she could think of it as a thing of the moment. It has been something she has wanted out of him and even encouraged so she has been absolved by herself of feeling any guilt about it.

It was this, what she was doing in that moment what had her mind rolling.

Sure, hooking up with her assistant was also a thing she promised herself not to do ever again so the relapse came quite unexpected; she basically threw her resolution of keeping things with him chaste down the drain and now it was this.

She was confused, torn between behaving like a responsible professional who was very much aware of how this could backfire or just going with the flow and follow the current…

Sliding her leg over his, Regina moved closer to his body, deciding that it was too early for her to be musing about things she wasn't going to resolve by overthinking about them.

This was good; he felt good, he smelled good so why couldn't she just enjoy it while it lasted? Because yes, he was now playing along due to the fact that she was encouraging him and sure, because men were like that, they went soft-headed when offered sex; but once the novelty of getting to screw around with the boss lady would wear off, he was definitely going to take himself out of the game.

Like she told him, he was one of the good ones, she was a damn mess and that combination didn't add for anything good. So for this little while why couldn't she just play pretend this was normal?

As if reacting to the way she snuggled closer, Robin's face moved to the side, his lips lightly brushing against her temples and his nose burying into her hair. He did nothing more than that, just breathe slowly, his chest raising and then falling underneath her cheek.

But then she shifted a little against him and she detected another light movement from his part, this time of the hand he had around her and resting over her hip.

It moved, his fingers sliding along her flesh softly and the pad of his digits tracing random patterns against her. It was as if he was finger-painting and the canvas was her skin.

He did that for a while, slowly roaming around, going over her hip bone, along the curve of her ass and then almost down to her thigh. But as he kept moving, his touch eventually made it up to her waist and feeling it as if she was being tickled with soft feathers she tensed up away from him a little.

He stopped on dry all attempts of touching her for a couple of seconds after her abrupt reaction, but when she did nothing more other that remain still against him, he did it again, this time starting on her waist and then slowly going up her ribcage.

As it happened before, her body reacted involuntarily to the prickly touch by jerking away, a gasp stuck in her throat as her nose scrunched.

"You're ticklish." He said huskily as he held her closer so she wouldn't move away, a faint trace of amusement decorating his sleepy tone.

"I'm not." She denied firmly, refusing to admit that she actually was.

"No?"

"No. I just don't like being touched when I'm trying to sleep." Instead of sounding standoffish as she has intended, her words came out too laid back and acknowledging this, she tried to push his hands off in an attempt to give emphasis on what she said.

Snorting, Robin moved a bit sideways so that he ended up half facing her. In that position, he used one arm to hold her while he trapped the leg that has been on top of him securely between his.

"Oh really? Well that's rich, considering you're the one all over me." As he said that, he went back at running his fingertips over up her sides, this time adding enough pressure to make her have to bite into a very unwelcome chuckle.

"Stop it." She complained, chewing on the inside of her cheek because she was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her backing down.

"I'm not doing anything." Only that he was. True, he wasn't going full at it but he was definitely using his fingers to subtly tickle her, and then when she tried to sneak away he prevented her from doing so by holding her tighter.

"Don't be a childish asshole."

Puffing out a breath, Robin slid closer and having her trapped, he went onto full tickling her. "What did you just call me?"

Much to her shame, a short giggle escaped from the depths of her entire being. It surprised her, and it encouraged him to keep going, making her squirm and yes, do the giggle thing again. "No… wait."

"You're taking back calling me an asshole?" He asked playfully, lowering some of the intensity on his ministrations.

Regina opened her mouth a little before biting her lips. She did that lifting her face so that she could look into the bluish of his stare, catching on the glint his eyes held as be looked back at her. Then, upon seeing his rueful smile she scrunched her nose once more. "No."

"Oh. Well… then you give me no choice."

He went back at it, a little harder and it made her laugh as she has probably never done in her adult life. She was very much aware of this and even when half her brain was in hysterics with her silly reaction, the other half just went along with the ride.

It just burst out of her as she squirmed a bit more, her free leg going over him and her body both pulling and pushing against him. The whole thing was stupid, even ridiculous but it still made her chuckle.

"Stop it." In her attempts to break free, one of her hands pressed to his chest and she tried to push herself away, but he wasn't giving her much room. No, he just rolled over her and made it even harder for her to escape.

"What are you doing?"

Once on top of her and with one of her legs trapped between his knees, Robin held both her hands above her head. It wasn't an iron grip so she knew she could easily break off, but she didn't. She remained in place, dragging her feet over his bedsheets so that the stiffness of his obvious erection could press harder into her flesh.

"Now what was it that you were saying, that I'm a what?"

A little breathless with the efforts and very much aware of how she was naked while he was not, Regina lifted her chin defiantly. There was a sly smirk on her lips and she knew that she could go ahead and tell him right there that he was an asshole once again. But if she did, he would keep behaving in such a silly way and they would keep going on circles all day long; so instead of doing that, she decided to shift the dynamics a little without having to yield too much.

"You're dressed. Why?"

Lowering his eyes so that he could take a look at the boxer briefs he was wearing, Robin hummed. "Guess I missed on the memo about how I had to be naked."

Regina's eyes narrowed. No, he didn't have to be naked, but she remembered clearly how they went to sleep without any clothes on so it was odd that he was wearing something, even if it was just some underwear.

Sure, she also had the vague memory of feeling him get out of bed at some point during the night only to come back a while later, but she couldn't really say if that really happened or not.

Not that it really mattered or that she even cared, so going back to the line of thought that dictated she needed to make the best out of whatever time they had left, she bucked up her hips off the mattress and searched for a more closer contact.

"Take that thing off."

Arching both eyebrows, Robin pinched his bottom lip between his teeth. "Do you always wake up this bossy?"

"Yes, especially when I wake up with a half naked man dry humping me."

Lowering his head and planting a kiss on her chin, Robin hummed. "First of all, I am _not_ dry-humping you, second… how often does that happen? You waking up with a half naked man."

Throwing her head back to give him room to drag his lips down the outline of her jaw, Regina closed her eyes. "Not enough."

He smiled as he nuzzled into the crook of her neck; she felt it, his lips curving as he placed tender kisses all along.

"That's because you don't want to."

Before she could even ask what he meant by that, Robin pressed his mouth to hers. It was a quick peck, way too quick if you asked her and then just like that he was pulling away so he could climb out of bed.

Blinking slowly and swallowing down the urge to ask him why he pulled off, Regina watched as he went to his drawers so that he could grab for a jersey. Once out he inspected it, he even sniffed it and apparently finding it okay, he handed it to her.

She took it, thinking that the message was crystal clear. She offered something he was no longer interested in so he gave her something to wear.

Yes… it rubbed her ego the wrong way so pushing the inside of her teeth with the tip of her tongue, the dark-haired woman just clenched her jaw while sliding into the shirt; then, not feeling like saying anything, she got out of bed before making it straight into his bathroom, closing the door behind her so that she could deal with her business on her own.

Once freshen up, the brown-eyed woman made it out with the intention locating her dress, putting it on and then finding a way to go back home.

She walked out focused on doing that… well in that and trying not to be mad about the fact that Robin was already pulling himself out of the game.

After all that came as no surprise. No, the man bailing out was something she knew was going to eventually happen so she couldn't really be salty about it. It was a simple equation. Men like Robin rarely went for the messed up ones like her; at least not for real.

Yeah he probably was physically attracted to her and maybe even found the idea of doing his boss thrilling, but that wasn't enough to make him want more than a few nights out of her.

It was a shame though because that morning she has been in the mood of maybe getting a free pass for the day and just go along with the ride, but if he wanted out now then she guessed it was alright.

She already got what she wanted out of him so why stretch the inevitable?

"I have to tell you something that's going to piss you off real bad." Robin blurted out as soon as she made it into his kitchen. "But first, coffee."

The corner of her lips curled upward at his announcement because this talking thing wasn't exactly her cup of tea. If he didn't want her to keep throwing herself at him then fine, she could take that, she could even understand it, but only if they didn't have to talk about it.

If it was up to her, they would ignore it for the rest of times… hell, if she wanted to, _she_ could ignore _him_ so and so good that he could end up doubting his own existence. But talking about it? Nooo…

Still, when he offered her a mug full with the precious dark liquid, she took it, wrapping her hand around it and finding the warmness of if comforting.

"Don't beat around bushes and just say it so we can just move on." She said, rolling a finger in the air and shifting the weight of her body to her left foot.

"Regina, after all this time working with you I've learnt you are better to deal with after coffee so drink it while I go to bathroom."

Not giving her time to protest, he left.

Scoffing, Regina rolled her eyes. She drank the coffee though, and when he finally re-emerged several minutes later, the mug was empty.

"Come here." He said, grabbing her hand and guiding her to the sofa.

Regina went along, wondering if this was how people felt when they knew they were about to be cut off. She wouldn't know; after Daniel she really didn't really keep men around long enough for them to want to have this kind of talk with her so it was all new to her.

Once they were sitting, Regina realized that he was still shirtless and very much on his underwear while she was wearing nothing under his shirt, so it felt kind of weird for him to be pushing for them to talk while lacking decent clothing.

"So…" He began to say and the sheepish grin on his face made her look up to the ceiling while letting out a soft groan.

He was going to try and sugar coat it and she hated that. She liked things straight to the point.

"Listen, let's save ourselves from the drama and just… I'll go home and pretend this never happened. I won't hold it over you or anything so you don't have to worry. You go your way, I'll go mine and that's it. We'll only met in the middle when it's necessary."

And really, ignoring it was for the best. He was about to leave for his first of many trips to Milan so the time apart was going to come up handy. And maybe, when it was time for him to come back, she wouldn't feel so inexplicably drawn to him.

Frowning, Robin's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck, Regina? I was actually going to tell you I went to your house last night to let your parents in to get their stuff out but… do you really want to go back at ignoring this?" He said, his finger pointing at him and then at her.

Only catching the first part of what Robin said, Regina lowered her eyes back to him. "You let them in?" Her tone, dry and half incredulous flew around the room as she fixed him with a glare.

He shrugged, refusing to drop his eyes from hers. "They were calling nonstop. You wouldn't know because you are one hell of a heavy sleeper but I'm not. It was bothering me so… I answered."

"Then you should have turned the stupid phone off!" Groaning because she has been satisfied with the idea of her parents standing outside her house waiting until she decided to show up, Regina closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with the ball of her fingers. "Tell me that at least they left London."

"I guess; they said something about taking the first flight back to the States."

Just like she knew they would; her mother never lingered after messing with her mind. But it was great news to have it confirmed so at least that was something. "Did she rip me a new one when you went there?"

Robin lifted a hand, making a gesture she assumed meant that kind of. "She did say a few things, mostly about how you made them wait out in the cold night for hours. But nothing too bad."

Chewing on her lips, Regina nodded, knowing full well he was minimizing Cora's reaction just to spare her.

"How about my father?"

But before he could answer, Regina lifted a hand and motioned him to keep quiet. "You know what, don't even tell me because I don't want to know. He never says anything anyway."

"Well… he did talk to me."

"I don't care." And she really didn't. Yes, in her own way she loved her father more than anything, but he has never been one to stick up for her and that was a real bond-killer. He was bland and easily manipulated by her mother so with time, she has learnt not to depend on him for anything. "They are probably gone by now so I'll deal with them in five years, if they decide to pay me another unfortunate visit that is."

Leaning forward, Robin lowered his head for a whole second before facing her once again. "How is it that you think ignoring the things that bother you is the right way of dealing with them?"

Regina scoffed, shifting a little. "What else is there to do? I won't sit here and cry about my mommy issues and my dad being nothing but her eternal panderer. I have my own issues to deal with now so I won't add them into the mix… again."

"Alright. And how is that going for you? Ignoring everything?"

"Are you serious? You know how well that has worked, I mean look at me, I'm messed up."

"Then how do think ignoring what's happening here help us?

Lifting her shoulders, Regina widened her eyes. "There's no us, Robin; we hooked up, we had a good time but that's it."

"You sure about that?" He asked, grabbing her and pulling her to him.

Regina rolled her eyes as he did that, but even though she went along easy enough, straddling him when she realized having her that close was his intention.

Now, she went along just fine, but she didn't quite get why he was doing that. Why have her so close and why talk about them as it there was an 'us' when what he really wanted was to stay clear of her.

"What do you want, Robin, really?"

Placing his hands to her waist and pulling her a little closer, he roamed her face with his eyes. "I want you."

Snorting because that came out of nowhere, Regina frowned. Okay… so maybe he wanted a last go with her, which was fine, really, because she wanted it too. But because she has been expecting him to actually give her a speech of why he couldn't keep giving into her, it came as a surprise.

"It would be nice if you would just stop pulling away from this because Regina, I know you want it too."

In that moment, she was unable to see how they were on different pages so she wanted to tell him that the one who pulled away has been him. She has made her intentions clear back in his bed and he just left her there so yeah, there was no need to put this one on her.

But instead of saying that, Regina just leaned towards him and kissed him, resting her hands to his shoulders while allowing her lips to take over his.

His response to that was immediate and upon that first contact he went ahead and pushed his tongue right inside her mouth, letting it roll over hers as his hand slid into her hair.

They kissed slowly for a while, almost as if it was the first time and they were just discovering each other, but the longer they kissed and the deeper they would go, the restless Regina would feel.

This was not a hook up kiss; it lacked his usual intensity and fervor, but it gave a whole lot more. What was it? she didn't know…

Pulling away to gather some of her senses, Regina opened her eyes and tried to dig into his own blue orbs. That way, with their eyes locked and his breath brushing against her face, she blinked and tried to voice out her confusion, but no sound came.

Apparently not wanting to waste so much time, Robin lowered his eyes to her mouth before leaning into her once more, planting his lips back to hers as his hand slid to the small of her back. That way he kissed her again, his tongue sneaking pass her lips and seeking hers.

Wrapping and arm around his neck to make the kiss go even deeper, Regina let herself be carried away into the moment.

As that happened, she couldn't help but to think that not even ten minutes ago she has been almost sure he wanted nothing to do with her and now… well, now she could feel against her naked crotch how a bulge that definitely wasn't there when she settled on him was pushing back against her.

Little as that was, what has happening felt amazing… after all she was almost naked and giving Robin the liberty to kiss her senseless just because she wanted him to. There was no ulterior motive this time, no alcohol or past trauma knocking on her door… she was there because she wanted it, because it felt good.

Realizing that made a shiver run down her spine and she trembled, her hips grinding against him, rotating a little so she could feel him better.

And as she did that, his hands sneaked underneath her shirt to settle on her naked ass, pulling her even closer if it was possible.

Moaning into the kiss and feeling as if she needed more, Regina slid a hand down between their bodies and reached for the bulge inside his boxer briefs. She stroked him for a while and when she finally started to fumble with the fabric he got the hint and helped her free himself from the bondage.

With their tongues dwelling and the repercussions of what they were doing eluding her, she savored the moment, exploring his mouth and getting drunk on the taste of him.

If felt amazing, kissing him and feeling him so hot, stiff and ready in her hand made her stomach tighten as a liquid warm sensation soaked her privates.

That right there made her hand wrap a little tighter around him, enjoying how he felt like hard rock wrapped in smooth silk.

She wanted him inside of her, so changing strategies a little she made his erection brush against the warm wetness between her legs.

Hissing at the sensation, Robin broke from the kiss. He took the opportunity to reach for her shirt to pull it over her head. Once he had her completely naked, he ran his hand over her flat stomach and then up to cup her breast, and when he smoothed one of her nipples with the ball of his fingers, she bit hard into her lips.

"I thought you didn't like to be touched." His voice was a raspy whisper and she arched an eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't like me."

Lifting his hips a little an thus making his erection press a bit against her, Robin bit on his lips. "Are you serious? I like you… very much so… I don't think you even get how much."

That movement right there made her shiver once again and she knew that she was going to be a goner as soon as he entered her. But he didn't, he didn't even tried to, he just kept playing with her breast. One in his hand, kneading and feeling around and the other one he put in his mouth, his tongue swirling around her nipple before sucking at it.

He didn't do it hard as she would have expected, and even though it wasn't tender either, it felt perfect. It made her moan and she pushed her groin to his, desperately needing to feel the hardness of him sliding in.

"Robin…" She breathed out in a plead, her face burying into the crook of his neck. She wanted him, in some kind of way she needed him, and that he wasn't even trying to fuck her senseless as she would have expected him to do made her feel desperate.

Patience was something she has always lacked and in that moment he was testing it.

Determined, she reached for him, her hand searching and finding his cock while wrapping her fingers around him once more. He still felt hard as stones and hot as hell and when she heard the way he sucked in a breath she bit on her lips.

"I want you now."

Robin scoffed, his erection was still pressed against her; she could feel it alright, and she knew that if he pulled her to him with enough force, he could end up impaled into her all the way in.

She wanted that, so swirling her wrist and making the head of his erection brush against the wetness between her legs, she kissed him.

His response was immediate, as soon as her lips brushed against his he placed a hand to her behind and parted a way into the cave of her mouth with his tongue.

It was surreal… the whole thing was and rotating her hips so that his erection could slide against her swollen folds, she moaned into his mouth. She moved against him again, making the head of his sex almost break into her and then pulling away.

"Shit, Regina…" He mumbled against her lips, but she shut him up by kissing him harder.

That way, the two of them kissed long and deep, their tongues dueling slowly against each other and exploring at will until Regina was sure that his taste was going to be forever in her mouth. But then, as she savored the moment, he pulled away to nibble on her collar bone.

"You're a damn tease." She said out of breath, her eyes closed and her sex swollen with need.

"Me? You're the one tempting me since waking up."

"Then if you're so tempted just go for it, I'm here to take."

At her words, Robin couldn't take it any longer so he grabbed her hips still so that he could slowly thrust into her. The torturous entrance made her moan and pretty much as she did with him a few minutes ago, he pressed his mouth to back to hers so that they could continue kissing.

Her inner walls stretched for him, accepting all he had to give and it kind of surprised her that he wasn't slamming hard and fast into her as he would sometimes do. No, he was taking his time and the friction of him slowly sliding back and forth started to make her feel wanton and she didn't think she could take it much longer.

Gasping, Regina yanked her lips from his and pressed her face to his neck. "You want to kill me?" She moaned and closed her eyes while pushing hard against him to make him go deeper.

"Relax…" He said as he chuckled a little. "Just enjoy how good it feels."

Lifting her face so that she could look at him in the eye, Regina ran her tongue over her lips. He was by then settled all the way in and for a few seconds he held still like that.

"Do you like how deep it feels?"

Regina could feel him parting into her core and smiling a pleasant smile, she nodded. "Feels so good."

Robin swallowed on dry and smiled back. "You feel good too, so tight and warm." His voice came out in a puff and after he said that, his hand grabbed as much flesh from her behind as he could and his mouth reached down so that he could capture a nipple between his teeth.

"Yeah?" She whispered, her stomach tying in a knot as he began to move, slowly at first and then picking up a pace that made her desire increase faster and faster.

Sucking on a nipple and then running his tongue over it, he sunk into her as deep as he would go. "Yeah,"

Her legs pressed him closer and she felt him pulse into her. The whole thing was amazing… it made her feel delirious.

"I can't believe we are doing this."

At her words, Robin pulled away and then he thrust hard into her, making her gasp and open her eyes wide.

"How about that, did it felt real enough?"

Her eyes were dark and wild and her heart was beating frantically into her chest, but all she could focus on was in the way his eyes dug deep into hers. "I'm not sure, do it again and I'll let you know."

He did it, again and again and that way, lost into the moment, they kissed, touched and explored, setting up a rhythm that suited them both until they finally came undone in a chorus of moans, soft groans and whispered words. One followed the other, leaving them tangled and breathing into each other.

It wasn't until the heat of the moment started to cool off and until both their breathing came back to normal that Regina opened her eyes and smiled. He was still inside of her, they were still one in union and somehow that made her feel content.

"You're going to wear me out if we keep like this."

Snickering, Regina kissed his collarbone and down below his throat. She liked being like that, she wanted to keep him close. "Can't handle me?"

As she said that, he grabbed her chin and kissed her, his tongue swirling around hers and then ending the kiss with a soft peck. "Oh I can handle you just fine."

Closing her eyes, Regina hummed. Who knew? Maybe, just maybe she didn't have to give up on him just yet. A day or two or until he left for Milan sounded good to her. Why not? She has been deprived of this kind of human contact so nobody would blame her if she wanted to milk it as long as she could, right?

"So about that bike you have…" She started to say, part of her brain telling her that she needed to keep her distance while the other one urged her to go full at it.

She only listened to the half that wanted her to go with the flow, and she did for the next few days. It would be only after a while that the other part would start to speak louder… and yes, she was going to listen.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

She didn't know what he was doing to her, she really didn't know. It totally eluded her how it came to be that he was just… well, how he was making out of her whatever the hell he wanted while she did nothing other than just let him.

It was a weird thing and she wouldn't even know how to explain it, but as it was happening, for the past few days she has been practically giving Robin free reign to take certain liberties with her that he really had no right to take.

Like the right to touch her and kiss her whenever it pleased him or even the right to lure her into his bed as if she was his to claim. And that she was letting him do that, that she was plain and simply falling prey to whatever game he was playing with her was really messing with her head.

It confused her. First, because she wasn't sure if she understood what was it that he wanted to get out of the whole thing. Was he just getting a kick out of hooking up with his boss like most men would do or did he have ulterior motives for it? And if he did what were those, what did he really want?

Her other reason to be confused was even more complex, as she couldn't register in her brain that if she was someone who evaded getting attached to all forms of living creatures like the plague, then how come she was already getting too comfortable with him and everything that he was doing.

Because yes, everything that was happening, the kissing, the fooling around and even the thing about laying in a stupid sofa all tangled up while watching a movie like they were one of those real couples was because she was letting it be.

Now, sometimes, in the aftermatch of falling victim to her own carnal desires, she liked to think that she was letting him drag her into his cause because it felt good; after all he was pretty amazing in bed, he was a good looking man and well, she was definitely not made out of stone nor did she have water running through her veins. No, she was flesh and blood, a simple mortal who had needs and desires like any other and Robin definitely knew how to exploit her weak points.

He knew how and where to touch her to make her loose her composure, he knew the right angle to thrust into her to make her toes curl and he definitely knew how to put that expert tongue of his to good use…

Like he was doing right now… slow and throughout like she liked it, and yeah, like all the previous times he has seduced her into his will, she put basically zero resistance against this new advance.

"You like this?"

Opening her darkened eyes so that she could fix them straight into his heated stare, Regina parted her lips so that she could blow a breath as her hands settled firmly against the headboards of the bed. For several seconds she just looked at him, her pulse accelerated, her face and chest flushed and heart drumming hard into her ribcage.

"Of course you like it… you don't have to say it… your soaking wet."

"Robin…" She breathed out, her eyes refusing to leave his. "We can't do this, not here."

As a response, Robin puffed out a breath, the sudden pressure against such a sensitive spot making her close her eyes and push her tongue to the corner of her lips.

"You're sitting in my face, Regina…" He said, planting a kiss on her inner thigh and then another one to the spot were all the nerves of her body seemed to connect. "So I'll take you do want to do this here… and now."

The fucking bastard… if it wasn't because he looked so damn hot down there, eating her out so good as his hands curled to her hips, she probably would have called him out on that insolent way he had when talking to her.

He had no right… even if he was telling no lies because she was indeed straddling his face and enjoying every second of it.

It was just that with the new angle she was totally exposed to him so he was able to cover all of what she was with a single swept of his tongue, starting down her slit and then sliding up sensuously slow towards her clit, spot where he would close his mouth over her while applying the right amount of suction to make her blood boil.

It was just too good, the sensation overwhelming and adding to that how he was doing her with his eyes set on her stormy ones and that was enough to make her mind fog.

"If one of those kids hears…" She warned, her mind going over the fact that they were at Granny's and outside the closed door of the bedroom there roamed not only the kids but said woman herself.

"They won't hear a thing, not if we keep it low. Can you do that?"

The timbre of his voice, low and dark vibrated against her flesh and Regina trembled, swallowing down a gasp as he reassumed his task, first rolling his tongue to her clit and then sucking on it until a breathy moan escaped her.

Bringing a hand to her lips to cover her mouth as well as that shameful noise, Regina threw her head back. "Oh fuck… I hate you."

Chuckling, Robin moved his hands from her hip, letting them slide to the hollow of her waist and then finally settling on her breast. "No you don't so don't fight it… I know you love what I do to you."

And she actually did, all of it; the things he would do, how it made her feel and all that sappy crap. He may not even know it and she would never admit it, but he sexually had her in the palm of his hand.

Now yes, that was all in a physical aspect… but there was also something oddly exciting about having someone getting to know her body well enough to understand what turned her on and what didn't and that Robin was that person was making her cave in deeper. She's never had that before and Robin was quick in figuring her out.

Maybe that was because they've been all over each other since they began with the whole thing while with her past lovers she preferred to keep them away, just a casual encounter that wouldn't be repeated if she could help it.

But here was this man, always making her crave for more and probably because she has been deprived of this kind of human contact for so long, she was not only repeating… but also taking the time to learn what he liked as well.

It was really all a new concept for her, but as it happened, familiarizing with him, drinking on his taste, inhaling his scent and just getting to know what made him thick and what was it that she needed to do to make him do that sexy growling sound that felt as if it was torn from his very core was extremely rewarding.

But because she was not going to admit that, what she did was slip her fingers away from her mouth, letting them fall over his hand as he cupped her breast and then further down so she could reach behind her to get a hold of his groin.

He wasn't completely naked as she was, but through the fabric of his underwear she could definitely feel how hard and ready he was for her.

"I know what can make me keep it low… if I just… let's say, occupy my mouth with something else." As if to give emphasis to what she just said, Regina wrapped a hand over his stiffness and stroked it, loving the outline of it.

Humming and moving a hand down so that he could playfully slap her ass, Robin pulled a bit away from her.

"Well I have something to keep that mouth busy."

"Do you?"

"Yeah…" He growled, sticking his tongue out and letting it collect the wetness between her legs.

Regina hissed. "I'll check it out." Then, with that said, she turned around, keeping the position of straddling his face but making it so that she was now facing away from him.

Once in place, Regina leaned forward and after helping him take off his boxer briefs, she grabbed for his erection again and allowed her tongue to move from base to head, memorizing into her mind the musky sent of Robin's arousal.

"That's good, babe." He said, and before she could roll her eyes at the pet name, he pressed his mouth to her sex and went back to what he was doing before, this time with both his hands full of the flesh of her ass.

Regina moaned low in her throat as she felt his mouth working on her again, and because she didn't want to fall behind she used her own tongue to swirl it around the head of his cock; then she started to slowly suck as much of him as she could take into her mouth.

She did it without hurries, using her tongue and lips as she went, she only stopped when she felt the crown of his manhood hit the back of her throat.

It made her eyes water and she fought hard against the urge to gag, because in her mind it was all worth it as she got him to make that low growl she liked tearing out of him so much.

"Shit, Regina… you better do that again." Robin mumbled as she retreated, dragging her name a little bit in a low groan that sent a shive down her spine.

Just listening to him say her name in such a manner was enough for her to moan, cock in her mouth and all. Add to that what he was doing with his own tongue and she could see a close end to it all.

She could feel it in the pit of her stomach already, building at incredible speed and making her feel warm all over.

But because she was more interested on taking him to the edge, Regina tried to humor him with what he wanted, stretching her jaw as far as it would come just to she could take more and more of his engorged cock.

She did that while allowing her hands to slide down the man's thighs and then back up, loving how his own hands kneaded at her flesh.

"Oooh that's so… fucking good."

He was close, she could sense it by the way his hips bucked up.

Thinking about that, Regina realized that by then she could taste more than a few drops of pre-cum leaking out into her tongue and he drank on them as her hands settled firmly on around the base of his erection.

"You like your cock in my mouth?"

"Fuck yeah." He hissed. "Specially if I get to eat you out at the same time." Right after saying that, he used his fingers to spread her even more and then he swiftly pushed his tongue into her sex.

"Oh…" She yelped as he used his tongue to fuck her while his forefinger ran up the crack of her ass, pressing lightly to her pucker.

He didn't linger much, just enough to hint his interest in that part of her anatomy. "You know I'm going to have that one too one day, right?" He hissed once he pulled his tongue out.

"You say that very sure of yourself."

"That's because I am." And just like that, he was sucking on her clit again.

For some reason, his words made her desire soar up and craving for release, she picked up a pace that seemed make Robin moan and grunt at her ministration; she sucked on him, she licked and tugged at the tight skin of his loaded balls with her teeth and she grabbed him hard in her hand while running her tongue all over him.

He did his part too, feasting off her until she was so close she could almost taste it.

She was so fucking turned on she couldn't even think, all she wanted was to reach that blissful moment were she could get off.

"Jesus, Regina… slow it down or I won't last."

As soon as his raspy voice echoed and bounced between the four walls that were keeping them away from the rest of the world, Regina wrapped his lips tighter around his shaft and increased the intensity of her suction.

All that while, Robin hissed, growled and grabbed hard onto her until he suddenly released the hot seed of his desire down her throat.

"Oh fucking… shit," Robin panted, his voice coming off as strained. "I'm sorry… I didn't… shit."

A bit caught of guard because this was actually the first time she had someone coming in her mouth but fully enjoying how she made him loose it, Regina drank from him as if he was pouring out of his cock the world's sweetest nectar.

"Holy shit… oh my God Regina."

He hissed when he saw that she was not letting go and then he pressed back against her, his tongue tracing random patterns to her clit until she also came undone, her entire body crumbling as she followed him down the Big O road.

Taking him out of his mouth and moaning shamelessly, Regina pressed her forehead into his thigh as he finished her off. Once he was done he kissed her thighs and then up the curve of her ass.

"That was amazing." He growled, his hands running from her ass to her back.

"Yeah, and now I have to brush my teeth. You fucking came in my mouth." She said, her tone failing to come up as indignant as she meant it.

"Well so did you, and I did tell to slow it down."

Humming, Regina slid away from him and getting to her feet, she made it towards the bathroom.

Once there she did just what she said she needed to do, rinsing her mouth and then brushing her teeth because there was no way in hell she was going to walk out into Granny's birthday party with her tongue covered in his cum.

She also took a quick shower, and when she was done she found him in the bathroom brushing his teeth as well.

"You know, I was thinking that we could call it early from the party and come back here so we can properly finish what we started back there."

At his words, Regina did a double take. "Are you serious? We did finish it, I know because you did it my mouth."

He scoffed at that, and when he finished rinsing his mouth he walked to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lowering his face.

He came close to her, so very close that his nose was touching hers while his eyes dug insistently in hers.

"No, considering I have to leave tomorrow morning for Milan and that I'll be gone for two weeks, I can assure you that we're not finished."

Regina almost told him right then that she didn't come all the way to Granny's to have farewell sex with him but to discuss business with the older woman, but before she could do such a thing, he closed the distance that separated them and kissed her lips softly.

It was a tender gesture that nothing had to do with the raw desire that consumed them both back in his bed and when he pulled away she just frowned, wondering where did that come from and why it made her stomach feel funny.

"I don't think Granny would appreciate that." She said as her eyes blinked into his stare.

"I think she'll be okay with it. Did you notice she put the baby maker quilt in the bed?"

Unable to hold it, Regina snorted. She has spent half that afternoon talking with the widow Lucas to get to know more about how the orphanage financially worked and the woman has been more interested in her and Robin's possible future babies

Of course, she didn't go ahead to tell her how that was never going to happen but she got to realize Granny wanted them to start procreating soon.

"Then more the reason why we shouldn't have sex in there." Sure, she had her IUD so she was not afraid of getting pregnant, but sometimes it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

"Oh we'll throw it away." Flashing her his patented dimple smile while running his fingers through his hair, he shrugged.

Regina rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she walked out of the bathroom to start getting ready. Once she was done, she walked out with Robin, hand in hand to keep appearances of course until they made it to the backyard, place were the kids and Granny's granddaughter decorated to celebrate another full rotation around the sun for the woman.

Now, the first thing Regina noticed was that the place was full. According to Robin, most of Granny's kids now made into adults usually came to celebrate along.

It definitely made her feel out of place; not only because she basically didn't know anyone, but because she has never been too fond of social gatherings. And to make matters even worse, everybody and their mothers apparently wanted to go and meet her, Robin's wife.

He was as she was finding out very much liked and if anything, that made her feel even more uncomfortable.

She did so much fake smiling that the muscles of her face started to ache and after a few hours of mingling with Robin she was starting to like the idea of cutting the night short.

She hadn't come for this, she only tagged along because after Robin casually told her a few days prior how Granny was struggling to get more sponsors to keep the orphanage going, she became very interested in making her company donate and to do that, she has wanted to hear it all from the woman herself.

That it happened to be while they were having a party and a day before Robin had to leave for Italy was pure coincidence…

Now, back to the present, she knew that to call it out early she didn't necessarily need to leave with Robin. He could stay down there, enjoying his friends or whatever and she could just slip. That's why when Will called on him she insisted for him to go, after all it wasn't like they had to be glued together as if they were a real couple.

"Nah, they just want me to go with them to sing, it's the same every year and this one I feel like sitting it out. Company's better here." He said, kissing her briefly.

"You sing?" She asked, suddenly finding herself interested.

"Poorly." He answered, his teeth pinching his lower lip as his eyes settled in hers.

"Come on mate, we can't do it without you, it's for Granny!" Will blurted out and Regina chuckled.

"Go, I want to hear."

He groaned, running a hand down his face, but when Will grabbed his arm to pull him up, he went along.

Chuckling, she watched as both Robin, Will and another guy she didn't know settled themselves so that they could, as Will pointed out to the gathering crowd, do their annual performance for the woman that took them in as if they were her own children.

They each talked, and when it was Robin's turn her mind started getting into dangerous waters. It was an odd thing, but as she watched him there she started to wonder where would she be if this plan to marry to get her citizenship never took place.

She definitely wouldn't be there and she sure as hell would have never made it to the man's bed. No, they would be living as they used to, Robin thinking she was a cold bitch while she remained in her lane, unaware of how his fingers worked magic on her skin, how a single kiss could easily end with clothes being thrown or how sexy he sounded in the brims of his passion… and not getting to discover those things would have been a real shame.

Maybe he would even be there with someone else…

Shaking her head as if to ban that kind of thinking, Regina focused on what was happening. By the time they actually began to sing she just watched and listened, thinking that no, Robin definitely didn't sing poorly.

He was good, he could actually carry a tune and his voice combined with the sound of the guitar turned out to be oddly entrancing. It made her mind start to wander again, a strange feeling that made her feel as if she was living someone else's life taking over.

It was just… that being there made the night feel almost magical and as she took in this new feeling, her face lifted up so that she could contemplate the night sky as his voice took her to faraway places…

"That's a nice ring."

Startling a little and tilting her head to the side so that she could look at whoever came to interrupt her, Regina found herself face to face with a woman. It took her several seconds to realize it was Marian and all of a sudden, her mood took a turn.

Not that she would show it so faking yet another smile, she arched an eyebrow and lifted her hand so that her wedding ring would show. "I know." She said smugly, for some reason disliking the nerve of the woman.

She has been there, minding her own business and enjoying the night and she came to actually interrupt her?

She didn't like that, she also didn't like her tone, or her face or that glint in her eye as she looked back at her.

"He has definitely improved his taste in jewelry and as I see it, his income as well. You see, when he gave _me_ a ring it was the simplest thing, but he worked so hard to get it that when he gave it to me I felt like it was worth millions."

Noticing the passive aggressive tone on the woman, Regina scoffed. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Marian." She replied, her lips curving as if her name was supposed to make her tremble.

She was mistaken herself with her so wanting to pull her off her cloud, she went straight at her throat.

"Oh… so you're the one who calls my husband in the middle of the night and then hangs up."

Running her pinky over one of her eyebrows, Marian snorted bitterly. "And you're the one Robin married oh so hastily."

Regina wrinkled her nose. "What can I say, when loves strikes it strikes."

"Um, I wouldn't call it love, not for Robin and you'll have to forgive me for saying this so harshly but maybe it will save you from a lot of heartbreaks in the near future. What you have with him won't last. I know Robin since we were kids and we've loved each other ever since. He may be infatuated with you now but at the end of it all he will eventually come back to me. It's meant to happen that way."

Not sure if she should be amused or angry at her insolence, Regina gasped. "Really?"

"Yes."

She hummed, her eyes narrowing and her entire body turning so that she could have a better vantage point on the woman.

"Okay correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one who cheated on him, got pregnant and made him believe he was the father?"

At her words, Marian had the audacity to look shocked. "That's… just little stones on the way. We already turned that page and even though we are not exactly together, we will be. Or is it that you think he wouldn't have picked up my call if you weren't there? You see, women come and go so he can go and marry or date all around all he wants to, but nothing will ever last for him because I'll always be his constant."

Deciding that she was mad but refusing to let it show, Regina bit hard into the inside of her cheek. She knew she had no right to get territorial because she and Robin were not together for real, but the woman definitely rubbed her the wrong way and she was not going to let her get away with disrespecting her. Because sure, the marriage was fake but nobody knew that, meaning that she had all the right to 'defend' what was hers.

"Maybe that was before… I don't know and I don't care, but now that I'm here I don't think he'll bother picking up the phone whether I'm there or not. He has his hands busy with me now so while he gives me what you so desperately crave from him why don't you find a little dignity so that maybe you could stop daydreaming with something that will never happen."

Marian's hands curled into fists and Regina's chin tilted up defiantly, but before either one of them could say or do anything, another woman came.

"You really have some nerve coming here, Marian."

Taking in a deep breath, Robin's ex smirked as Granny's granddaughter approached.

"I was just leaving."

"Then make haste, go, go." She said while clicking her fingers.

Marian did leave, but not before sending Regina an icy-cold glare.

"Don't mind whatever she said, the woman's totally batshit."

"I won't." But she did, despite her words she wondered if there was any truth to what she said, after all Robin himself told her that he talked to Marian from time to time so who was to say he would indeed always end up with her…

Maybe that was why he barely spoke about the woman with her, because she was his constant… and even when she has talked about every single aspect of her past, Marian was a subject he wouldn't completely share with her.

"I could never stand her, and after what she did to Robin I can't even see her without wanting to beat her up. Ugh, but Robin never allowed me to."

"Okay…" She said hesitantly as Ruby groaned in frustration.

"She's just jealous, and I guess she's in all her right to be because you have Robin eating out of the palm of your hand. I mean I had my doubts when he married out of the blue but now that I see the way you two look at each other I can see why you did it."

"The way we looked at each other?" She chuckled in confusion because she didn't have a particular way of looking at him.

"I don't know, like you are head over heels with each other? Smitten? All of that. Anyway, now that the bitch is gone I'll be around checking on things so see you later."

Watching the woman go, Regina snorted. "Smitten, tsk."

The woman was definitely reading them wrong… or maybe they were playing their part right.

Nodding in satisfaction with that last though, Regina shrugged. But then when she searched for him with her eyes and found him still singing, a pleasant smile on his face and his voice bouncing in her head it hit her, like a blow to the stomach.

She was indeed acting smitten…

That thought right there freaked her out because getting comfortable enough to feel that way was a mistake she swore not to make. No… she has been living in the hard reality of her fucked up life long enough to know she couldn't allow herself to feel like that.

And yet she did, unknowingly…

Feeling overwhelmed, she got to her feet and swirling around she hurried back to the room. She needed time to put her thoughts in order, but right in that moment it seemed impossible. She just felt as if she needed to get out of there so grabbing for her suitcase, she started to put random things in it.

It was just when she was looking for her phone charger that he came in. "Hey, are you ok? I saw you storming out."

Not wanting to blow things out of proportion, Regina just nodded. "I'm packing. I want to get out of here first thing in the morning… have a lot of unfinished work to do and-"

Before she could even finish, she felt his arm circling her waist from behind as his lips brushed against her naked shoulder.

The contact made her tense and she felt her spine straighten up against him. Then as if that wasn't enough his hand pressed to her stomach and she suddenly felt trapped.

"You can obsess over work after tomorrow, because tonight you're all mine."

Taking in a deep breath, Regina shook her head, she didn't want to get all nasty with him but she did want for a way to make him stop his advances. "I just talked to Marian, she came to me marking her territory like she was some… cave woman or whatever the equivalent of that is and I didn't like it."

Much to her surprise, Robin chuckled before moving his lips from her shoulder so he could place a kiss right below her ear. "Don't mind Marian."

Scoffing, she turned around. "I asked you to be discreet about these things."

His eyes widened a little as he threw his hands up. "What things?"

Getting annoyed because he knew what kind of things she was referring to, she twisted her lips. "You know what? Never mind. I don't care anyway."

Taking a step forward and fixing his eyes on hers, Robin grabbed her hips. "Is that jealousy I sense here?"

Laughing at how ridiculous that sounded, she rolled her eyes. "I don't do jealousy. You can screw whoever you want to as long as you keep it discreet."

Humming, Robin took a step forward and as a reflex, she took one herself. "I don't want to screw around… same way that I don't want you doing that while I'm gone."

"Maybe I will." She said, no resolution in her voice whatsoever.

He smiled, probably reading into her bullshit and as if she was his to claim, he leaned forward and kissed her.

For a second she was tempted to push him away because this was something they should stop doing before she could dig herself deeper, but then she remembered that he was going to be gone for two weeks and that was enough time for her to set her head back the right way.

Meaning, that maybe that night she could indulge one last time with him…

And she did, that night she enjoyed what he had to offer as they gave into each other slowly, clinging to one another without saying a word. They touched and kissed with a sweet urgency as if it was their first time, then in the aftermatch of it all, everything made her feel even more confused.

If anything, that just made her be more sure that once he came back, they couldn't keep hooking up… and this time she really meant to pull away.

TBC

Okay so this update took longer to come up with and I'm not entirely happy with it, so let's just say it's a step to go forward with the story.


	19. Chapter 19

When Regina realized Robin was the reason why she has been in such a funk as of late, she has acted immediately. She did what she had to do without giving it a second thought, taking care of the problem by attacking the very root of it.

The solution has felt easy enough and she didn't even hesitate in doing it, not giving a damn if the repercussions could end up costing her dearly.

Like her position at the Company for example, and everything she has worked so hard to achieve…

Now, realizing the man was the cause of what was so terribly wrong with her has taken her a while, almost three days after he left for Milan. And even then, the full severity of the whole thing didn't completely down on her.

Yes, she hasn't been feeling physically well since he was gone, yes, her mood was a variable of being totally irritated or unusually gloomy and yes, she has felt his absence like ten thousand pounds of deadweight in the most obscure part of her being. But it wasn't after those three days and at least seven missed calls from him that she realized that she was feeling like that because she missed him.

Obviously, she felt ridiculous at first because really, she had no right to be missing him like at all. It may be true that since they got into their fake marriage they've been spending most of their time together, be it at the office or at home, but their newfound closeness wasn't really a credible justification for her mind to be resenting his notorious absence.

It really wasn't, after all she has spent most of her adult life on her own so it was impossible that in a matter of weeks she already got used to his constant presence.

Besides, even if her subconsious has been low-key getting used to his company, three days was way too short of a time to miss him, meaning that it definitely had to be something else what was wrong with her.

Now, back to those initial confusing days, she tried to shrug the feeling away by telling herself that what was happening could lay on the fact that she missed the sex and that wasn't so bad in her book. No, it was even understandable because Robin was actually really good in bed.

He made her feel good and that was quite an addicting vice. The promising thrill of his secret touches when they were at the office, the adrenaline pumping high in her system when he was finally able to touch her like it was meant to be and that exhilarating warmness in her lower stomach whenever he kissed her were definitely enough elements to get her hooked.

What could she say? She was only human, she had needs and well, she liked the idea that her withdrawals were on a more physical aspect.

But then, when she was convinced it was just that, plain sexual gratification what she craved, he did a single thing, a simple text directly sent into her phone and the theory of her body just wanting some carnal action crumbled right at her feet, leaving her raw and exposed like never before.

The message has been a simple one so she still wasn't sure why it hit her so hard, why it made her want to pick the phone to call him and make up some excuses as to why she has been deliberately ignoring his calls.

She didn't do that… obviously, she just sat with the phone glued to her hand while reading the message over and over again…

'_Everything okay? I'm getting worried'_

That has been it, just five words for her head to start spinning and her chest to constrict tightly. Five words to feel like the biggest bitch on earth. Because there she was giving him the cold shoulder and all he wondered was if she was alright.

She would have cried in that moment if it wasn't because her tears had gone dried years ago, and she would have done so because he was too good… maybe even perfect while she was same old Regina, damaged goods not worthy of reparation…

She definitely didn't deserve him.

To that day she still didn't know how it was that she didn't see it before, but just imagining him in Milan, probably in his hotel room while wondering why she was ghosting him was enough to make her open her eyes to the crude reality.

She saw it crystal clear back there, and she understood in that moment that it wasn't just sex what she was missing out of him but actually so much more. His raspy laugh, his dimple smile and his arms around her when she woke up. Then there was his scent and how his stubble felt against her face or even his voice telling her about the kids back at Granny or whatever, and when she saw the big picture of what all that meant she almost had a heart attack.

She foolishly fell for him… she broke all of her self-imposed rules in favor of unknowingly harbor feelings for her damn assistant and that was a big no, no… because the same way she didn't do relationships, she also didn't deal with feelings.

Needless to say, realizing that she may care for him more than she should came as a shock, so trying to find a way out of the mess she got herself into she dug deep into her brain until she found a solution to cut things from the root up.

She found it, and the very next day she called her lawyer and started the process of filing for divorce.

Screw her citizenship, screw the company and Mary Margaret with it and screw everything. In that moment all she could think was that Robin and everything that came along with him needed to disappear from her life and the sooner that happened the better.

She made the decision on her own, without consulting him about the change of plans and keeping with the resolution of not picking up his calls, not even the ones regarding work.

Hell, she even stopped showing up at the office and instead she forced herself into an extreme homemade treatment to detox her system of anything Robin related.

It worked for almost a whole week, more or less… but then earlier that day she received the confirmation from her lawyer about how Robin has received his divorce papers to sign and every progress she has made about keeping her feelings under control went to shit.

Because yes, instead of waiting for him to come back so that they could talk it out like civilized people, what she did was cowardly turn off her phone and send the papers straight towards Milan.

She basically blindsided him, and if anything that only made her feel worse than before.

That new development happened earlier during that same day, and now, several hours later and with more than a few glasses of whisky running through her veins, she dwelled in her house… her brain drowning with that hazy alcohol induced buzz while she tried to come up with a thousand reasons why this was for the best.

True, getting drunk or coming up with those excuses wasn't exactly working as her mind wouldn't just stop wondering about how Robin reacted or if he even cared at all, but because her plan was to keep drinking until she passed out and could not even function properly let alone think about him, she kept at it.

What else was there to do? It was what it was and she did what she did. Tomorrow, after dealing with the hangover she was sure she was going to get she could think with more calm about what to do from then on…

Nodding in self-agreement because that was one hell of a plan, the dark-haired woman brought the bottle of whiskey back to her mouth and drank a bit more, her eyes closing as she silently willed for her mind to focus on the music softly playing on the background instead of having her very much unwanted Robin thoughts.

It was almost impossible… the man was way too deep into her brain; in fact, he was so encrusted there that when she heard a car pulling over in front of her house she wondered what would happen if it was him.

Would she cave in? Would she in a drunken trip confess she felt something more than an ache between her legs for him or would she get into full bitch mode to push him away?

Not like it mattered, after all it would be impossible for him to be there so she snorted at how stupidly drunk she was. Robin wasn't going to be there, not when he had at least four more days left in Milan.

Hopefully by then, she would either have her shit pulled together or she would be in a plane getting out of London before he could get there himself.

Maybe the last one would be a better choice… that was what she was thinking as she walked towards the window to take a peek out. She was even wondering where could she go and for how long, but all those plans were quickly forgotten as she saw Robin walking towards the house while the car drove away.

"Shit!" She yelped out loud, first walking towards the entrance to prevent him from getting in and then halting abruptly on her tracks when she realized how ridiculous that was.

He was already there, opening the door so there was no point. The only thing she could do was stand there and wonder why she didn't change the damn lock or at least the security code.

"Fuck my life." She breathed out because no, she wasn't ready for this… not when she was a drunk mess who wasn't even dressed properly.

Running both hands through her hair, Regina swirled on her feet to head straight towards her bedroom to at least go and find some pants to put over her panties, but when she was by the door she realized that she didn't want him to catch her in her bedroom so she quickly grabbed the handle and slammed it shut.

She did that at the same time she heard him clearing his throat somewhere behind her.

Cussing under her breath and trying to look as normal as she could, Regina turned around to face him, her eyebrow lifting a little as she rested her back against the closed door of her bedroom.

"Did I catch you in a bad time?" He asked, his tone dark and low. It matched with the somber look in his face and the tense pose he was sporting.

On her part, Regina lifted a hand to her head so that her fingers could tame her dark locks a little. She hadn't done anything with them after washing her head earlier on so her hair has naturally curled while going in all directions. She probably looked worse than how she felt and she hated that he got to see her like that.

"Actually you did." She said, proud at how steady and firm her voice came out.

Robin's eyes narrowed a little as he looked her over and she felt way underdressed under his stare, after all she was just in her panties and a thin tank top that didn't exactly do much to cover her frame.

"I see. So you got company in there?"

"What?" She asked, not quite following him. She was too busy letting her eyes roam him over, her fuzzy mind trying to see if he looked any different now that she knew she felt something for him.

Yeah… those were definitely the same eyes, even though they seemed a bit darker than their usual clear blue and yes, definitely the same face with same lips that knew where to kiss to make her loose it…

"Do you have someone in there or not?"

Doing a double take, Regina snorted, but she was unable to say a word even though she opened her mouth to reply. She was too fucking drunk to even process in her mind the implications of his words.

Did he actually believe she had someone in her room or was she reading things wrong? And if he really thought that, why the fuck did he care?

He had no right to ask her about that sort of thing as if he had any right over her.

But before she could say that to him he walked forward, opening the door and even making her move so that he could enter her bedroom.

Regina scoffed, but she remained in place as if in a trance, watching through wide eyes as he searched around the privacy of her chambers before making it into her bathroom to do the same.

He was obviously looking for someone hiding in there and she wasn't going to lie, him doing that irritated her almost enough to sober her up.

"Wanna look underneath the bed as well?" She snapped, throwing her hands in the air in a somewhat exaggerated manner. "Maybe drag me around the house by the hair like some fucking caveman?"

Walking to her and looking as irritated as her, Robin shook his head while pinning her with his eyes. "Do you mind explaining me why is it that after more than a week of you ghosting me, the first I know from you is when you send me divorce papers?"

The question shouldn't have taken her aback, but it did, so trying to gain a bit of ground she blinked a couple of times and flashed him a dark smile.

"Why, I'm setting you free." Her words echoed all around and she knew she should have let it there, maybe tell him he was no longer bound to the contract she made him sign so that they could each keep going their separate ways; but instead she opened her mouth and kept talking. "You know, so you can find yourself a real nice little wife. Just not Marian because she's a bigger bitch that I am so I don't know…" She rambled, pushing a finger to his chest. "Maybe someone perfect for you."

"You're drunk." He stated somberly, grabbing her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

Annoyed at the contact, Regina groaned, pushing his hand away and turning around so that she could get out of her room.

"Alright what the fuck is with you now?" He asked as he walked after her. Regina just rolled her eyes and faced him once they were at the neutral territory of her kitchen.

"Nothing wrong. This is just me being me." She was a hot mess. He knew it so she didn't get why he was so surprised.

Taking in a deep breath, Robin twisted his lips. His eyes wouldn't just break away from hers so it had to be her the one who looked away.

"No, don't try to feed me that bullshit because I know very damn well that right before I left everything was fine; then all of a sudden you go from that to completely ignore my calls, ask for a divorce and now you are getting drunk here so just tell me what is it."

Regina shrugged, not saying anything.

"Why were you ignoring my calls?" He took a step forward, his frame towering over her as he looked down on her.

Regina rolled her eyes, her face moving in his direction defiantly. "Because I didn't want to talk to you."

Scoffing, the blue-eyed man ran a hand down his face. "You didn't want to or you didn't have the guts to?"

Her eyes found his and her mood began to sour even more. "I didn't want to, I still don't want to so you better get out of here and leave me the hell alone. You're ruining my buzz."

She meant to move out of his sight so that she could go and see where did she leave the bottle of whiskey, but before she could do as much as take a step he grabbed her arm and prevented her from getting away.

"I really don't get you, I swear I've tried to but I just can't."

"Then don't try it!" She yelled at him, her anger mixed with the alcohol a lethal combination. "I don't pay you so you can understand me, I pay you to do a job and you are not doing it. This marriage is nothing more than a business deal and since it's not working anymore I want to get out of it. So just sign the damn papers and get out!"

His eyes were on fire, but then again hers were probably the same way.

"Yeah, well you didn't pay me to sleep with you and yet it happened, so if anything you should at least have the decency to look at me in the eye and tell me what happened for you to get like this."

Regina bared her teeth, everything around her becoming fuzzy. That was how angry she was. "I don't owe you anything. And the thing about us having sex? That was clearly a dumb mistake so don't get confused and think that gave you any kind of right over me."

"So that's what it was now, a mistake? Because that's definitely not the impression I got out of you when it kept happening. When you kept asking for it."

Before she could even register her actions, her hand shot up and she hit him right across the face. It made his head jerk to the side a little before he quickly tilted it towards her again. "Don't test me, Robin, because you don't know me at all."

With his eyes fixed on hers, the man nodded, pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue. Regina just watched him, her hands slightly trembling and her heart hammering inside her chest.

"That's where you are wrong, because I'm pretty sure I know you pretty well to recognize that you're acting like a fucking ass just because you are unsure of how you feel."

As if his words triggered something deep within her, Regina sprung forward and tried to hit him again, but this time he saw it coming beforehand and went ahead to grab her.

"Come on, Regina, don't get stupid now."

Fuming not only because of what he said but because she failed on her intent to hit him, Regina groaned in frustration. Then, not wanting his hands on her she pushed back away from him so hard that she ended up tripping with her own feet and falling flat on her ass.

She went down in shame and in a cloud of drunken anger and it made her snort bitterly. She did that out of anything more constructive to do because she was feeling so mad she was sure that if someone cut her, she wouldn't even bleed, as her blood had boiled and evaporated into nothing, living her dry up.

"Look at what you are doing to yourself. Does this really makes you feel good? Is it really so bad to let yourself feel something that you rather be like this?"

"I'm going to ruin you, I swear I will, that's the only thing that will make me feel good." She hissed through clenched teeth. By then she could feel her eyes watering with a few shameful tears and she silently cursed the moment she decided that getting drunk was a good idea.

It wasn't, because if she were to have this conversation sober, she definitely wouldn't be making such a fool out of herself.

"Yeah, I'm sure you will. Now get up and stop acting like a spoiled brat." He said, offering her a hand to help her stand.

"Don't fucking touch me." She spat angrily, slapping his hand away and maintaining her position down on the floor. "Just go grab whatever's yours and get out of my house."

Clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, Robin gave her one last glance before moving away.

Now, from her spot, Regina couldn't see what he was doing, but she did hear him moving around; a door getting open, his car keys jingling as he grabbed for them and overall his steps echoing in a deafening manner all around her. He was probably gathering his things as she just told him to so slowly, she got to her feet as a way of trying to recuperate a little dignity.

As that happened, she felt a few tears leaking from her eyes and she wiped at them angrily.

"Is this what you really want, are you certain?"

Refusing to look at him, the brunette nodded. It was right after that when she felt the floor disintegrate under her feet.

The horrifying sensation made her gasp and she clung to the first thing her hands came in contact with, but as sudden as that happened, her world spun all around and she gasped louder, a wave of dizziness taking over her.

It actually took her several seconds to realize Robin just grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She shrieked when she lifted her face to see that he was taking her outside of her house.

Robin didn't reply, not until he put her down in the backseat of his car.

"Just what you told me to, I'm taking what's mine and getting out of here."

"Are you out of your mind, I'm not yours."

"Just shut up for once… okay? I'm taking you out of here, I'll sober you up and then we will have a civilized conversation about this. Is that clear enough for you?"

Parting her lips and blinking her eyes several times, Regina remained in place. Robin must have taken that as a yes because the next thing she knew, he was driving away…

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Thanks so much for the feedback on last chapter, you guys are the best. Now for this one, keep in mind that Regina is still a bit drunk so if she doesn't make any sense at the beginning or turns into an asshole (again) it's because of that… I mean apart from the fact that the woman is messed up. Anyway, enjoy if you can!

**THE TALK**

She made a huge mistake by laying down in the backseat of Robin's car; a huge, huge mistake. Of course, doing that wasn't even by far the worse she has done that day, it was only the latest of her faux pas in a night were she apparently did nothing more than mess up time after time.

From drinking too much, to not wearing some damn pants and ultimately, making a fool out of herself in front of Robin.

It was as if she was living her own personal version of tales of unfortunate events or as if she all of a sudden couldn't do anything right when it came to things related to that man. It was ridiculous if you came to think about it, but as it was happening she couldn't even take control of the situation like it was supposed to be.

What happened back at her house? Things were definitely not supposed to go that way; hell, he wasn't even supposed to be there and because he somehow got the great idea of showing up unannounced, all of her plans of evading him until she could beat whatever it was that she was feeling for him out of her system crumbled at her feet in a pile of nothing.

He didn't give her time to put together an effective plan of facing him while sober and composed and because of that he was now wining over her; after catching her drunk he basically had her where he wanted her and by her standards that was simply unacceptable.

She was Regina fucking Mills and he was just… a damn thief that thought it was okay to steal all the common sense out of her usually sharp mind just by flashing her way that stupid dimple smile or by entrancing her with the full intensity of those tantalizing eyes of his.

He couldn't just do that, she wasn't going to let him… not anymore anyway.

Now, it was during that short lived ego-trip that she came up with the stupid idea that laying down in the back of his car would be the perfect act of defiance. Sure, she regretted it now but when he threw her back there like she was a sack of potatoes and then told her to buckle up, she petulantly decided that she wasn't going to do shit of what he told her to do.

Why would she? He was very mistaken if he for a minute though he had the upper hand on her… okay maybe he did but she wasn't going to let him know, oh no, no, and to show him she just… laid down.

It didn't cross her mind to climb out of the car or maybe even demand him to let her go, no; what she did was lay across the seat with an impertinent pout on her lips and her arms crossed over her chest. That was when her entire world started going around.

It was the damn whiskey. The wicked thing just viciously rushed to her head in the most inopportune of moments and now she felt like her head was spinning around in circles; all that while she fought a hard battle so that all the contents of her stomach would stay there.

So she was dizzy as hell, her stomach was rioting and she was sure she was going to die before Robin would even notice; either that or she was going to spoil his entire seat by throwing up everywhere. That was how bad she was feeling.

"Why is your car so jumpy? Gosh just kill me already… I can't…" Her voice was shaky. It even came out like a meek whimper that nothing had to do with her always firm tone.

Now, maybe in any other occasion she would be mortified to have someone witnessing her at one of her lowest points, but she was just too busy trying to keep her breathing slow and steady. Inhaling and then exhaling in hopes that the nausea would go away.

"Is that why you get drunk for, to feel like shit and then whine about it?"

Her eyes were still closed; opening them only made her feel worse so she kept them like that, the wave of nausea slowly fading away. "Not that's any of your business but no, that's not why I drank tonight."

"Then why did you? Seriously, what do you get out of it?"

Even if she was badly suffering back there, Regina couldn't help but to catch on the condescending tone he used on her and yeah, it definitely rubbed her the wrong way. Was he taking the role of her mother now, chastising her life choices? Because she didn't like that, not even a bit.

Besides, didn't he know she was like that because of him? Because he crawled into her psyche and got so incrusted into her brain that she has needed a way go get him out of there and getting drunk seemed like the best option?

Nah, of course he didn't know… and it pissed her off that he didn't see it and yet he sat there in his high horse judging her.

"It's your fault I'm like this, you fucking asshole so just… just don't talk to me, ever."

Robin clicked his tongue. "Classy, very classy of you Regina."

"I told you not to talk to me." She bit back after noticing how his sarcasm has been very latent in his words.

The effort to snap at him shook her a little and once again she tried to control her nausea through her breathing, focusing on nothing else.

For a few minutes, that's all she did… neither one of them saying a word; but as she started to feel better, her ear detected a very annoying sound coming from the front seat and out of instinct she opened her eyes to slits to see what it was.

It was Robin, he apparently felt the need to repeatedly tap his fingers to the steering wheel as he drove and the sound was getting on her nerves.

She was about to tell him so, but before she could even open her mouth he beat her to it by talking first.

"Why is it my fault that you're drunk?"

He asked and even if from her vantage point she could only see half his face, she definitely noticed the tension in his jaw and the way his eyes were firmly set on the road ahead. He was mad, she knew he was and she really couldn't blame him.

After all she did hit him, after blindsiding him with the divorce papers she just acted like a fucking lunatic and slapped him right across the face.

Snickering out of bitterness because her actions only proved how much of a train wreck she really was, Regina's eyes closed again.

That was exactly the reason why she needed to keep away from him… because she was a mess and he was too good for her; he deserved better than a fake wife who was crazy on top of everything else and for that reason she needed to set him free.

Her latest behavior and his ridiculous patient reaction to it proved he was too honorable to break the contract on his own so she needed to do it herself.

It was better that way, because now that she realized she did want more out of him than what he was willing to give, she was definitely going to drag him down.

She was cursed that way, she ruined and turned to shit everything she ever care for and Robin wasn't going be the exception…

"Did you hear what I just asked?"

Taken out of her thoughts, the dark-haired woman noticed that Robin was still tapping his fingers impatiently to the steering wheel. It made her cringe, not only because the sound was annoying, but also for the question he just asked.

"Where are you taking me?" She tried to evade the direct question by making one of her own. Then, just to add something that would keep the focus elsewhere she went on. "You know I can accuse you of kidnapping me, right? I can call the police and tell them you dragged me out of my house like a chauvinist idiot just because you felt like it."

"Yeah, and from what phone you'll do that? You don't even have pants so I'm going to gather you don't have your phone with you either. Besides I'm not kidnapping you, so don't be ridiculous."

The back of her hand went to cover her eyes. "Yes you are, you're taking me against my will."

"Well ain't that a bitch."

As he said that, he pulled over and before she could have the chance to ask him what was going on, he climbed out of the car and slammed his door.

"Robin?" She tried to sit, slowly in case the dizziness would come back. Then, almost as if he heard her he opened the back door and reached for her.

"Come on."

It was dark all around but in the chiaroscuro that surrounded her she could easily see his face, his eyes the bluest of blues digging into hers insistently.

Has he always looked so good or was she being corrupted with her newfound feelings? Or maybe she was just too drunk… "I can't go out like this."

Lowering his gaze down her body, Robin hummed, but then as if not caring she was just in her panties and a somewhat revealing tank top, he grabbed her by the waist and easily pulled her out.

They were at the building where his flat was, meaning that they were out in public, and there she was not even wearing shoes.

It was also freezing that night and the violent shiver that ran down her spine when he made her stand on her own showed it.

"Here, put this on." Taking his leather jacket off of him, Robin wrapped it around her shoulders, helping her slide her arms in it and then zipping it all the way to her chest. It provided a temporary source of warmness and Regina clung to it. "Let's go in."

They did that quickly, and it wasn't until he closed the door to the outside world that she realized that she went with him easily enough, without any kind of problem or inconvenience.

"What am I doing here?"

Robin moved to the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and then bringing it to her. "I told you I was going to sober you up so that we could talk. Drink this."

Her tongue ran against the edge of her teeth and she shifted the weight of her body to her left leg. She did that in a failed attempt to look more sober than what she actually was, but if anything, it only proved she still had quite a nice amount of alcohol running all through her system.

That became especially obvious when her tongue felt a bit heavy as she spoke and when she had to balance herself not to trip. "What if I don't want to talk?"

Robin walked to her, his towering presence somehow imposing. Her eyes followed his movements as he made his way to her. "Regina, you won't be getting out of here until we have this talk, so drink this while I go and run a shower for you."

Not really in conditions to argue, she drank the whole glass, then, off to the shower he sent her.

She remained in there for quite a ridiculous amount of time, but when he came for her she had no choice than to kill the spray of water, dry up and dress in the jersey he gave her to wear. He also made her drink another glass of water and when she was sitting at his sofa, comfortably warm, he shot the question.

"What happened?"

By then she was feeling a little more like herself, but she couldn't say she was a hundred percent in her full capacity to answer that question or any other regarding their situation without making a mess.

"I'm tired, I want to lay down."

"Regina." Robin, who was sitting by her side began to say, leaning a bit forward so he could grab one of her hands in his. "I just got from a flight straight from Italy after you sent me the divorce papers without even saying a word about what's going on. Then when I get here I find you drunk and more than a little out of yourself so I think the least I deserve is for you to tell me what's going on."

Dropping her eyes and getting caught up with the image of his fingers lacing with hers, Regina shrugged. She shouldn't say anything, not when she was still feeling confused about everything, but before she knew it she was opening her mouth to talk.

"Nothing happened. I just realized this was a mistake. The whole thing. When Gold told me I could loose my position at the company I freaked out and didn't think things through; but now my mind is clearer and that… this marriage was not necessary. "

"I see… and that just popped into your head out of nowhere and you just… went out of your way and filed for divorce without giving me a heads up?"

Sucking her lips into her mouth and then widening her eyes a little, Regina nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what happened."

Robin blinked a few times and he also focused his eyes on their hands locked together, his thumb tracing random patterns on the inside of her wrist.

The touch felt nice and in her still clouded judgement she lifted her eyes to his face and drank on the the image of him. It came into her brain then and there how good it would be if she could really indulge in him without any worries…

"I think that's a load of bullshit so don't try feeding it to me."

Groaning because he just ruined the moment, Regina rolled her eyes. One second he had her smitten and now she was annoyed back again. "I don't know what you want me to say, really… I just don't know."

"How about the truth, for once? How about you stop being such a bloody coward and tell me what is really going on. Because that thing of you suddenly realizing this was wrong is not convincing me."

Getting even more annoyed, Regina yanked her hand away from his. "I'm not being a coward, I'm just being real here. This-" She hissed, pointing at her wedding ring for a second before sliding it off her finger. Once off she threw it at him, it bounced on his chest and then fell to the ground with a loud clink. "Is not real; and we are _nothing,_ so instead of playing pretend we are fucking married just so I can get my damn papers, I decided to let things be like they are meant to be and that is with you one way and I the other."

His eyes darkened a little and his lips twisted. "Still a load of crap. Just listen to you, Regina. You're just so full of it that you don't even see it."

She scoffed in disbelief. "You know what, Robin, fuck you. I don't owe you any explanations, and trust me, I'm being very generous in the divorce settlement so just sign it, take your part and let me be."

With that said, she got up to her feet and made as if to leave.

She would have done so, she really meant to, but before she could even take a few steps away, Robin grabbed her by the arm and made her turn to him.

"We are not done here, so don't you try to sneak out on me. To start things off, I don't want or need your money so those divorce clauses are nothing but insulting to me, as for this-" He pointed at his own wedding ring and scoffed. "This whole thing is not even about this. It's about you being a coward that can't just admit that us, that you and me got too damn real for your liking."

She was a bit taken aback with what he said so she just blinked, her lips pursing as she stared at him. "I'm not a coward."

"Aren't you?" He took a step towards her, getting close enough so that she had to lift her chin to look at him. "Then look at me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong, tell me that this has nothing to do with you not wanting to admit you feel there's something real going on between us."

"This is ridiculous." She meant to look away, but he reached for her chin and held her in place.

"Then tell me."

With a roll of her eyes, Regina blew out a breath. She didn't feel that drunk anymore, but she was confused as hell. She suddenly didn't know what was going on and why he cared if she started to get real feelings for him or not.

"It doesn't matter, what I feel or whatever." She shrugged, not really giving much importance to it."

"It does matter." His tone was soft this time and she almost believed him, almost even rose to her tip toes to kiss him. But before she could do such a stupid thing she wrinkled her nose and took in a deep breath.

"No… not really."

"Alright," He continued, not even missing a beat." Then what about what I feel? Does that even count for something?"

Regina blurted out a dry chuckle. "What you feel? Come on I'm pretty sure it won't take long for you to find someone else to warm your bed."

Robin did an actual double take at that, his hand letting go the hold it had on her chin. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Taking on the occasion that he was no longer touching her in any possible way, Regina took a step back and lifted a hand up in the air. "You know what, I don't have time for this."

She was going to walk away, or at least try to, but out of nowhere his hand was holding her upper arm once more.

"Okay I don't think we are going to get too far if we keep reading different pages of the same book, it just doesn't make sense; and well, since I'm not afraid of it I'll be the one to say it. That thing that you feel? I feel it too… so why-"

"No." She cut him off, taking a step back and shaking her head side to side. She even lifted a finger and waved it in his face. She didn't want to hear it or think about it or anything. "Don't you even dare saying it… and don't look at me with those annoying puppy eyes of yours; I hate it when you do that." Hissing, she swirled as gracefully as her condition allowed it and headed straight into his bedroom.

She would have left the apartment altogether, but she had nothing on her to go. No money, no phone, she didn't even have shoes! He had her there, basically a prisoner with nowhere to go and she wanted to go, she needed to leave.

"Of course this is kidnapping…"

"You told me once, that you don't usually let yourself fall backwards." He said, startling her and making her turn when his voice echoed all over. "You told me that if I wasn't going to catch you, that I should get out of your way so that you could fall elsewhere. I'm here now, telling you that I'm not going anywhere, that I'm here waiting to catch you."

Feeling her heart skip a beat only so that it could start hammering back inside her chest with renewed force, Regina let out a small sigh.

She still wasn't fully getting him, or maybe it was that she didn't want to get him because the possibility of Robin feeling anything for her was both the best and the worse thing that could happen to her at the moment.

"I also told you that I don't to relationships."

"Then maybe you should."

Lifting both hands and letting them run through her hair, Regina closed her eyes. This was too much to absorb… she couldn't deal with it, not in that moment.

"I'll mess you up so, so bad." She scoffed, even when what she felt was like crying. "You know I'm a damn mess, you've seen it yourself."

Grabbing her face in his hands and letting his fingers trace the outline of her face as she opened her eyes to stare dumbly at him, Robin's lips curved slightly. "I think you are as messed up as you want to be. You have it so deep in that pretty head of yours that you are a walking disaster that you even started to believe it; but that's not all there is to you, I know it isn't."

"You don't know that."

"Then let me find out. I'm not your enemy, Regina, so you don't have to fight me or this feelings that you have and you definitely don't have to push me away."

Regina sucked in a breath, her eyes casted down as he pressed his forehead against hers, his nose bumping slightly against her own.

With this level of closeness, she could feel his breath against her lips and once again she wondered what would happen if she just let herself go.

Would it be too bad, would he end up resenting her when he realized she was empty inside and couldn't act like the sappy little woman he probably wanted?

"I can't think right now… I can't."

Moving his thumbs against her temples, Robin lifted her face up. For several seconds he just dug deep into her eyes, then, when she was sure he was going to kiss her he cleared his throat and let go of her face.

"I'll let you sleep on it, okay?"

Regina nodded, silently resenting when he pulled away from her. Not that she would be caught dead admitting it, but once he left with the promise that they were going to keep their talk when morning came she felt an odd devastating sense of emptiness that didn't give her chance to sleep.

It made her pace, it made her chew on her nails and it made her run her hand through her hair so much that she began to worry once she realized she was yanking on her locks.

She did that for a while, and when she was sure she couldn't take it anymore she walked out of the bedroom to find Robin laying across his sofa.

He seemed to be asleep, his features relaxed and his chest slowly raising and falling along with his breathing. Those were the first things she noticed, but also the way his left arm was thrown over his head, the way his hair looked to smooth and inviting and on his pouty lips…

"Fuck it." She mumbled because she knew she was already doomed.

Maybe if she was completely sober she would have acted differently… but she wasn't, so before her resolution could falter she walked to the sofa and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she straddled his hips and then pressed herself to him, her arm sneaking underneath the back of his head and her face hiding into the hollow between his shoulder and his neck.

His reaction was immediate, upon that contact he circled her frame with both his arms and crushed her hard against him.

Regina just breathed into the moment in silence, her heart thundering against her ribcage the only perceptible sound. They remained like that quite a while, until she felt the need to say something.

"Would you really do it? Catch me?"

"Always."

At his words, she pulled away a little so that she could look at him in the eye. He took the moment to drag a hand to her face, cupping her cheek as he glanced deep into her brown eyes.

"I would just appreciate if you stopped all hostilities towards me, I don't like that."

"I know." She replied, burying her face back into the crook of his neck. "Sorry… I'm an ass."

"You definitely can be one." He kissed the side of her head as he began to brush her hair out of the way, his fingers moving slowly against her scalp. That was all they did for the longest of times, neither one saying another word.

But then his fingers began to wander, going to the back of her head, tracing the outline of her shoulders and then sliding down her back.

Before she knew it they were down the curve of her ass, his fingertips alternating between brushing her fleshy buttocks and tracing back and forth the curve where her gluteus met her upper thigh.

It tickled in that interesting way that made her entire groin simmer in anticipation and she wished he would make the touches more intimate. It was probably the lingering alcohol in her, and the whiskey was reminding her that since she was going commando it wasn't like he had any barrier to go through.

She wanted him there, right between her legs. Be it his fingers, his tongue or his cock. She wasn't sure how her libido went so high with such a simple touch and after such a rollercoaster of emotions but yeah, she did want him bad.

It was with that thought taking over her entire being that she lifted her face to his, her lips parting and her eyes blinking slowly. On his part, he just looked back at her, his eyes a shade darker than their regular blue. Then, she went ahead and kissed him.

It was a peck at first, then she added a bit of pressure… then, his hands moved to her waist and he made her press to him, his tongue finding it's way into her mouth.

Angling her head to the side, Regina breathed into the kiss, her hips rotating a little in search of him.

She found him quick enough, hard and oh so ready for her. It made her hum, and when he slid his hands all along her back and the all they way down, she trembled against him.

"So we can say now that this is all mine?" He asked darkly as he grabbed a handful of her ass.

"Don't push it, Locksley. I'm nobody's but my own."

"You sure?" She let a finger slide between her legs and then without giving her a warning, he pushed it inside her already slippery slit.

It made her gasp, but then the wave of pleasure it provoked when he curled said finger while still inside of her made her growl softly.

"I'll say it is very much mine, all of you." He repeated the motion a couple of times before pulling the finger out, then he dragged it between her ass cheeks, spreading the wetness of her arousal all over her crack. "All of this."

Feeling her face burn and her midsection quiver, Regina lifted a little and quickly pulled his pants down. He helped her along, and because she wanted to feel him as soon as she could she grabbed for his erection and eased herself onto him.

"Oh God…" She mumbled before claiming his lips again, her tongue swirling around his and getting lost into the cave of his mouth.

Robin kissed her back, and when she started to move against him he just rested his hands to her ass and let her set the pace.

She rode him without a care in the world, not thinking about anything but the way she felt with him, her hips desperately searching for his as she worked herself up.

In that position, it was easy to create a sweet friction on her clit by grinding hard against him and she milked it for all it was worth it.

"You look so sexy like that… working yourself up on my cock." He groaned and she opened her eyes.

He was looking sexy as well, lips parted, tongue peeking out and his cheeks flushed. It made her want to kiss him so she lowered herself against him and did just that.

It didn't take long for her to feel her climax explode through her and probably sensing it, he took control of the kiss, swallowing down her moans and letting her finish herself off.

"How was that?" He asked against her lips once her movements stopped.

Breathing hard and collapsing in a heap over him, Regina panted. "Soooo good."

"Hmmm. It did feel good, babe. You're so wet and warm." Mumbling that, Robin grabbed her hips, planted both feet over the sofa and then he started thrusting into her.

He did it slowly at first, kissing her shoulders, sucking below her ear and running his tongue down her chin. Then he did it a bit harder, his hands roaming everywhere along her body as she clung to him.

"I want to make you cum again, you think you can give me another one?"

Regina, who was still feeling hot and bothered nodded. She was pretty sure she could, especially if he kept sucking kisses down her neck.

"Okay."

Groaning with the effort, he sat down, making her go up with him. Once face to face, he searched for her mouth and kissed her hard as one of his hands slipped between their bodies so that he could manipulate her clit.

"I like that, ohh." She said as he began slamming into her.

Grinding to him, she ran her nails through his hair and when he felt another wave of pleasure ripping through her she tore her mouth from his and moaned.

He followed her quick enough, his tempo getting erratic and a few growls escaping his lips as he shot deep into her womb.

Spent and more than satisfied, Regina let him roll her back into bed, and when he accommodated her in his arms and kissed the top of her head, she just sighed contently and allowed Morpheus to take her away… the notion that she was where she needed to be slowly registering in her brain…


	21. Chapter 21

Already drifting off into a deep slumber, Regina's body jumped involuntary as she heard in the far distance someone opening and then closing a door.

The distinct sound was followed by a duller noise, faint but steady… almost buzzing… and upon hearing it, her eyes opened at once; the warm chocolate orbs trying to visualize something through the darkness taking over.

Her effort to adjust her vision was in vain though, it was pitch black inside the room she was into so she couldn't see a damn thing. Not as if the complete absence of light triggered any kind of alarm in her, no… it didn't even made her senses tickle because there was actually an odd sense of familiarity sweeping through her even with the notions of time and space all distorted in her head that was telling her that it was okay to be there, that she was okay...

But still, she wanted to know.

Running a hand through her messy strands, the dark-haired tried to force her mind into functioning, her head moving from side to side in search of anything that would give away her whereabouts; but the truth was that she couldn't focus, because even when she hadn't been fully asleep when the interruption came, her brain was having trouble crawling out of the tranquil state it has been submerged until a moment ago.

It was a weird thing… this thing of being unsure of where she was and she had to wait quite a while so that her mind could little by little start to recover itself from its lethargy. It was only when several minutes went by that she started to remember where she was and how she got there.

She was at Robin's place… and she was there because he basically took her by force out of her house while she has been drunk and well, then shit happened.

And when she said that shit happened she meant weird-feeling related things. Like how after a full blow-up from her part, she and Robin kind of admitted to have feelings for each other.

True, they didn't put it out there exactly like that but she was pretty much sure it has been heavily implied. The unsaid words hanging in the air as her brain slowly processed them through.

At least that was what she though…

Actually, she was almost sure that was how it happened but what would she know? She has been half drunk when everything took place so she didn't exactly remember their conversation word from word.

What she could clearly recall was how she has gone to him in the middle of the night, totally defeated by her own feelings and how she ended up surrendering herself to him… again.

So yeah, they ended up having sex, that was the kind of pull he had on her; because even when her mind would give her all the reasons in the world to stay as far as she could of everything he represented, the rest of her being was apparently doomed to always succumb to him.

He probably wasn't even aware of it but he totally overpowered all her senses and he didn't really need to do much for her resolution to crumble for him.

Now, those were dangerous waters she was swimming into, she knew it, but even when she was aware of it, the previous night she allowed herself to just float and let the current take her.

That was how she ended up laying with him in the aftermatch of their union, her mind going around in circles, wishing it could always be that simple that for them… their limbs entangled together and their fingers lazily re-discovering each other.

She didn't know how to put it, but after having her emotions all over the place it has been nice to wind down like that, not really thinking or talking but just getting soaked into the moment.

They did that until Robin suggested it was better to clean themselves up and go to bed.

He didn't say much after that and to be honest neither did her. He offered her some aspirin and a nasty beverage he swore was going to keep her from feeling a hungover from hell, he helped her wash up and that was it. Nothing more.

That right there kind of freaked her out, his lack of words. After all, everything that happened that night has been a bit too intense and no amount of sex, as good as it was, was enough to compensate the things that she did and said.

What if he was regretting it? She has thought, what if he, after she basically pushed herself to him, opened his eyes to realize that she and her complicated existence was something he really didn't want

True, he has been a willing participant when it came for them to hook up, but what if that was the only common ground for them, sex?

He was a man after all so it wasn't like he was going to say no to one night of passion, but maybe that was all there was to him, like she has suggested.

She wouldn't mind if that was the case, if all he ever wanted was to hook up because in a way it made things easier for her; but the thing was that sex was definitely not enough to make him want to bear her sudden outbursts and her more than messed up life for too long… hell, it wasn't even enough to keep him genuinely interested for much time and she knew it.

Yeah… he implied he felt something and sure, he said he would always catch her… but maybe he just said that because at the moment he actually believed he felt something instead of actually feeling.

That would be plausible, after all it was easy to confuse passion with actual feelings; but then when the novelty of sleeping with her started to wear off or if she once again turned out to be too much to handle, he was going to bolt and she was going to feel the consequences of going soft for him.

With her bad luck when it came to love, something along that line actually happening to her wouldn't exactly surprise her and as she laid with him she even started brazing herself for the impact of him telling her that she has been right and that the best they could do was cut things off and finalize the divorce…

But then, as those thoughts ate her brain out, Robin has pulled her closer to him, one arm around her as he kissed his way from her shoulder to the nape of her neck, his nose burying there until sleep apparently took him away.

He didn't say anything to reinforce what was previously implied, true… but that little act was enough to make her realize that she wanted so bad for him to really be on board with his words that she was going to trust him… that she was going to let herself fall backward and just trust that he would be there.

It was only there and then, that she was able to relax a little and fall asleep as well…

But now she was back to being awake and she couldn't help but to start wondering again…

Closing her eyes and letting her cheek rest back over the pillow, the dark-haired recalled all that, and as her mind slowly crawled back to the present, she wondered why she wasn't feeling Robin's heavy arm circling her waist as it has been earlier on.

She was inexplicably missing his warmth and the way his body felt pressed against hers as they both drifted off.

"Robin?" She asked in a groggy whisper, but nothing other than silence greeted her back and she had to turn around so that her hands could search for him.

He wasn't there, the space he has been occupying was empty and she could feel nothing but the cold void his body left behind.

Pursing her lips, she made her hand crawl back over the rumpled fabric of the bed sheets, letting it retreat back to her body so she could pull a blanket against her body.

Where was he? She has been almost sure that just a second ago she could feel him breathing against her and now he was gone. Could it be that he has been out for quite a while without her even realizing it?

Or could it be that he took a page out of her book and after realizing that he actually didn't feel anything other than lust for her, he just decided to leave.

Sitting on top of the bed, Regina put her feet over the cold surface of the floor and shivered. She still couldn't see any source of light whatsoever and she was hesitant about getting out of bed, but wanting to know why she woke up to an empty bed in the middle of the night she ignored the feeling and began walking with tentative steps until she reached the door.

And wow, as soon as she stepped out the temperature dropped like ten degrees and for a second she wondered if she walked into the bitter cold streets of London instead of just stepping out of Robin's room.

It was that damn cold and the fact that she was wearing nothing but a thin blanket to cover her nakedness didn't help her cause at all. It was also pitch black out there and she hesitated between snuggling alone in bed or venturing out to see what was going on.

She weighed her options for a few seconds, wondering what was best, realizing Robin left so that she could start building up her walls all over again or staying in a blissful oblivion for a while longer?

Both options felt equally bad… the possibility of him leaving in any capacity making her chest tighten in such a way that she was left breathless.

She hated the sensation; the fear of feeling like that was why she has wanted to flee in the first place, because opening up to someone just left you this exposed… this raw…

Not like there was much to do now other than sucking it up and keep on so that was what she was going to do.

Taking in a deep breath, Regina moved, her feet suffering the consequences of her decision as she walked out, hurrying her steps until she made it into his kitchen.

Now, to her surprise, Robin was there, warmly clothed and sitting by his kitchen's counter with at least three candles lit while he worked on what appeared to be a small radio.

He looked totally concentrated even if he also looked kind of annoyed and yeah, it only took her a second to know that his presence didn't offer much comfort to the turmoil raging within her; especially once she saw the scowl on his face.

Could it be that she caught him before leaving? Or that maybe he was thinking on ways to cut her off without being too much of an asshole?

Whatever it was she better pull the band aid fast so that she could keep on.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a somehow cutting tone as she pulled the soft fabric of the blanket tighter to her body.

Apparently caught off hard, Robin tilted his chin up so that he could look at her, the light of the candles dancing across his face making the moment feel almost mystical.

"The bloody lights went out in the building." He growled, his brows knitting together as he took out another candle to lit.

Regina bit lightly on her lips, not really sure if she should relax with his words. She felt hesitant, as if she was walking on eggshells and she was afraid to break something.

Not that she wanted to let him know how vulnerable she was feeling so she just cleared her throat and rolled her eyes as if the whole thing bored her to death.

"Well… did you pay the bill?" She asked, her toes starting to get numb as they made contact with the floor.

Robin chuckled, his eyes narrowing a little. "Of course I paid it, it just seems like the whole block has a power outage." As he said that, his head tilted so that he could take a better look at her. "And what are you doing out of bed? I got the generator going so that at least the room could get calefaction and here you are, freezing."

Lifting her shoulders and then letting them drop, Regina swallowed on dry. She could tell him so many things in that moment; she could act ahead of him and say she was going to leave and that she expected the signed divorce papers in her desk first thing in the morning or she could simple act as if she hadn't been scared out of her mind thinking that he was gone.

The ball was in her court… the only thing was that she didn't know what to do with it.

"I thought you left." The words came out smoothly, simple… but in their aftermatch she was left standing there dumbly, her lips partly parted so that she could puff a small breath as she stared at him through eyes that felt too big for her face.

Her heart was also hammering so fast inside her chest that she was sure the essential organ was going to burst.

Feeling like that was definitely not like her and part of her brain was demanding her to cut with the crap, send him to hell and keep living her life as she has been living before he came to invade all of what she was.

She didn't. She knew she should… but then again she wanted this so bad…

On his part, Robin stopped fidgeting with the radio and slowly scratched along the stubble on his jaw. "Leave? Like to go where?"

"I don't know… back to Italy, to Japan or even Greenland. Anywhere but here-" Leaving her words there, she scoffed and rolled her eyes before continuing. "It's what I should have done if I were you." Yes, leave as a stupid and probably ineffective way of escaping her feelings.

Now, after she said that, Robin eyed her over, his blue orbs taking in the sight of her as she remained in place. She blinked in response, knowing that she must be looking a mess; recently out of bed, hair tussled, pale as a ghost…

"Come here."

Instead of telling him not to boss her around, Regina did what he said, she put her limbs into motion and walked to him. She did it while trying to keep her face completely neutral.

"Is that what you wanted, to find me gone?" He asked, his tone low but firm. It made Regina think of the way people sometimes talked to children.

But biting her tongue in prevention of telling him that, she just shook her head no, not really wanting to say the words.

Robin hummed, nodding his head so very slowly while sucking the inside of his cheek into his mouth. "And do you want that, to be gone?"

She shook her head no once again.

"Then what is it that you want, Regina? Because this pushing me off and then pulling me in of yours has me slightly confused."

"I'm not pushing you off."

"Really? Because you just told me you would have left in the next flight to Tokyo if you were me."

Taking in a deep breath and then letting it blow forcefully through her mouth, Regina fought hard against the urge of rolling her eyes. "Why are you talking to me as if I was a child?" She hissed, shifting on her feet and starting to tremble a little because of the cold.

"Well… maybe because you sometimes act like one?"

Regina rolled her eyes this time, but instead of walking away as she knew she should do after what he said, she walked to him.

Why? Because maybe he was partly right. Not because she was pushing him off because she really wasn't, but maybe because she was holding back.

"I'm not pushing…" She breathed out, and she should have left it there. But like always, it was as if her mouth had a mind of her own and it talked without her direct consent. "Unless you are pushing me off first because in that case I will do the same. So are you?"

She blinked slowly after saying that, resting the palm of her hands over his knees as he looked back at her.

"Regina, I came all the way here after you blindsided me with those divorce papers. I did that even when you've been ignoring the hell out of me for over a week and I did it only to find you drunk, unsettled and more than a little hostile. Regardless of that I stood there listening to your insults, I let it slip when you bloody smacked me and I patiently sobered you up just so we could fix this; so do you really think I will pull away now that you finally admitted to be head over heels over me?"

Regina chuckled dryly, her eyes blinking indignantly. "I never admitted such a thing."

"Sure you did." He said in the lowest of tones as he reached for her, his arms wrapping around her to bring her closer. "You may not know it, but you definitely did."

His newfound closeness provided a comfortable sense of warmness in her and she was suddenly drawn to the heat his body provided. That was why she snuggled closer to him, her chin resting over his shoulder and her arms going tentatively around him.

"No I didn't."

"Alright so maybe you didn't say it like that, but that doesn't mean you are not." As he ran his hands down her back, Regina felt Robin whisper against her ear and her eyes closed, her entire being captivated with how easy it was to give into this new feeling of being in his arms.

Yes, they've kissed and touched in every imaginable corner of their bodies. They have slept all over each other and they have more than once laid down all tangled up, but she couldn't remember ever feeling the fulfillment she always felt when she was just like that, giving into his embrace as she softly breathed into his scent.

The sensation was almost enough to make her forget about every fear or doubt; and it definitely made her want to have him always like that.

"You won't admit it because you're in denial, but that's okay… you'll do it, eventually. I know it."

Smiling because he was being overconfident, Regina rubbed her feet together, hoping that the friction would warm them over. It didn't. "I'm not in denial, I'll tell you what I am, freezing." She said, the cold finally getting the best of her as she trembled in his arms.

Robin slid his hands to her waist and ended up patting her ass before mumbling under his breath. "Go back to bed, I'll be there in a minute. We'll talk there."

Feeling more cold than preoccupied because now she knew he was there and didn't leave as she thought at first, Regina didn't have to be told twice. She pulled away from him, turned around and headed back into his room.

Once she got there she hurried to throw herself over his bed and snuggled by herself as she waited for a bit of warmth to creep into her system.

Some five minutes later, Robin walked back into the room. He was carrying in his hand a couple of candles and he placed them over his nightstand before climbing to bed as well. "So, where were we?"

With the question tossed around, Robin took off his hoodie, staying in a red shirt and black sweatpants. Regina on the other hand was wearing nothing at all; to be honest she wasn't sure where her clothes were and not minding either she just lifted the blanket so he could crawl underneath it with her. Once he was there and laying on his side, she pressed against him and breathed in.

"Well look at this, you are naked." He said a bit too loudly as he blatantly checked her out.

Humming, Regina arched an eyebrow. "Maybe I would be wearing something if certain somebody would have given me time to dress before dragging me all the way here. I have no real clothes now."

Her voice was meant to come out stern and maybe reproaching, but what she ended up doing was purr as his firm hands ran down her hip and towards her tight.

She liked how his touch felt against her skin so as a way to get him closer she sneaked one leg between his and rested the other one on top of them, pressing even more to his body.

Robin angled his face towards her and his eyes stared deep into her own brown orbs. "Come on, we both know you wouldn't have come on your own accord. That's how infuriatingly stubborn you are… thing that takes me back to our pending talk."

"We already talked."

"Not really. We still haven't settled certain things, like how you can't keep doing that thing of running off or taking out frustrations on me, not if you really want this to work."

After those words, Regina just looked away from him and took in a deep breath.

This was it, it was the moment to either jump head first or take herself out of the game…

As if sensing her dilemma, Robin let his hand go completely still against the hollow of her waist. "I mean, you want that, right? For us to work…"

Regina shut her eyes and chewed on her lips. She didn't know how to tell him that part of what she felt was something she wasn't used to feel or even say out loud, hell, not even in her own mind she has admitted to feel like that in such a long, long time.

"I… this thing, the truth is that it kind of scares the hell out of me and I don't… know, I really don't know what I want."

Robin didn't respond at that and she couldn't help but to wonder what was he thinking.

"What is it that scares you so?" He asked at last.

"Oh boy," She snorted, opening her eyes and rolling her eyes. "Of getting burn? Of you realizing how much of a mess I really am?"

"Regina, I know… okay so I don't want to say you are messed up because you are not; but you do carry a lot of burden and I know that, but if I'm here is because I'm willing to bear it with you. And let's be honest, it anyone should be afraid of getting burnt here it should be me. You are the one that likes running off and pushing me away."

Unable to respond at that because well, he wasn't wrong, Regina just looked up into his hypnotizing eyes.

"But I'm willing to lay it all on the table and just trust you won't do that; now, do you think you can do the same with me, trust me?"

She shrugged, a bit nonchalantly because she didn't want to be all emotional about this. "I don't know, I guess."

Robin's lips curved into a smile, the faint light of the candles reflecting in his eyes and making them look more intense. "Gods, Regina… you are just something else."

Regina rested her head over the mattress and kept her eyes on him. "I know. It's overwhelming dealing with me, you think can handle that? Because I'm not the rosy-lovely type of woman who'll make you sandwiches and rub your feet after a day at work. I wont do your laundry either or be all smiles all the time. Now, I can give you some mind-blowing sex though."

Robin laughed at that, the sound of the sudden outburst filling the air. "Sounds fair."

She looked back at him and bit down a smile. "Good. Do you want to start now, with the sex?"

Because yes, sex with him was swimming in familiar waters while this feeling things was unknown territory.

Humming, Robin rolled over so that he could climb on top of her. "Okay, but one thing first, you said no sandwiches but what about lasagna?"

As if to minimize her reaction, Robin started kissing her cheek, underneath her jaw and just about anywhere where his lips could reach.

The comment should annoy her, but she just snorted. "I wont be feeding you all the time… or even half the time. I don't have time for that."

"Well that's a bummer."

"Are serious?"

She replied right before he finally kissed her full on the lips; he lingered there until she gave up and kissed him back.

So they kissed underneath the blankets as their breathing mingled together, her hand flying up to the nape of his neck so her fingers could run up into his hair. It was a nice sensation, her skin gladly receiving the warmth his body was offering and her lips more than pleased with his.

But then after several seconds he pulled away to look into her eyes.

Even when they were no longer kissing it was a perfect moment for her; his heart beating against hers, their eyes locked together and then the memory of the talk they just had. Sure, the conversation has been kind of cryptic but at the same time it said a lot; she was sure it was going to be a turning point in their relationship and she was willing to put everything behind to make it work.

"So are you going to trust me?"

Swallowing on dry, Regina nodded, her eyes glued to his.

"Okay… let's see if that's true." He replied, kissing the corner of her lips.

Regina frowned, but when he kissed her mouth again she allowed him to do it and even kissed him back, and when his lips moved to her throat and started to trace a path to her shoulder she encouraged him with a soft moan, and then when he started to pull off his shirt she helped him, succumbing once again to him.

But just when she was a bit too much into the moment, he pulled away and sat on his heels.

"I want to try something, but you'll have to trust me."

Frowning and feeling out of breath, Regina blinked a couple of times. "Okay…"

Robin cleared his throat and got to his feet. He walked to his closet and after searching around for a bit, he came back with a black tie in his hand. Now, in any other occasion, Regina probably would have put more attention to the way his pants rode so low on his hips, on how his exposed stomach called for her to kiss all over and especially on how he was sporting a nice erection that could be easily spotted under the fabric of his sweatpants; but what her eyes really focused on was the tie…

"I want to blindfold you." He said once he was back in bed.

Snorting, the raven-haired shook her head no. "No way." She said, not even thinking about it as she sat up.

Robin blinked slowly, running his tongue over the edge of his teeth. "So you don't trust me."

Gasping, Regina stared at him. He was being serious… she could see it in his eyes so she ran a hand down her face and let it rest to her mouth.

It wasn't like she didn't trust him, it was more like she didn't like to loose control.

"Seriously?"

He shrugged, refusing to drop the gaze.

"I can't believe this. Just… do it quickly, okay? And just so you know, I won't like this. So try to cum fast."

With that said, she allowed herself to fall backwards, because she wasn't going to put any kind of effort into this.

"And then you ask why I talk to you as if you were a child." He said dryly and for a second she was sure he was going to drop the thing of blindfolding her.

But he didn't, he leaned forward, made her head lift a little and put the damn tie over her eyes, tying it so it wouldn't slide.

"And just so you know, you'll love it." He whispered darkly once he let her rest over the mattress and yeah, she had to swallow on dry at the way the timbre of his voice vibrated against her.

Not that she was going to let him know so she just hummed.

He started by kissing her lips briefly, but then she felt him retreat and before she could ask him what was he doing he grabbed her right foot and lifted it up in the air.

"What are you doing?" She asked, the fact that she couldn't see him making her be edgy.

"Shhh." He kissed the inside of her ankle and a slight tremor ran straight through her, and then when his lips started to move up her calf, over her leg and ultimately to the back of her knee, she just had to gasp. "Your skin is so soft."

Regina parted her lips to suck in a breath when he bit into the beginning of her thigh. He didn't do it hard enough to hurt, but it definitely caught her by surprise, especially when he used his tongue to smooth the abused stop.

It felt good, she wouldn't be able to deny it, and as his mouth kept moving up and up her thigh, she felt her entire midsection tense in anticipation.

He was by then sucking small kisses out of her flesh, his fingers wrapping around each of her thighs so that he could make her legs spread for him.

"Do I really have to be blindfolded?" She asked, feeling overexposed now that he had her on display, her groin totally exposed to his viewing pleasure.

"Blindfolded yes, what you don't need to be doing is talking so much."

"What, are you going to gag me too and make it into another proof of how much I'm willing to trust you."

"I don't have to gag you in order to make you shut up." Before Regina could react to those words, she felt him shift a little and then just like that, he was using the flat of his tongue to run it right between her core.

She gasped, half surprised, but her hips only bucked forward when he closed his mouth over her clit and sucked it into his mouth.

"Oh my God." She rasped out as he added the use of his tongue on her to run circles around the sensitive bundle of nerves.

"You still hating it?" He asked, the timbre of his voice and the way he ran his tongue all over sending huge waves of pleasure all through her.

"Oh shut up." She breathed out, thinking that having her vision restricted by the blindfold was forcing her to rely on other senses rather than on her eyesight.

It was rather pleasant, in a strange way the lack of vision made her more perceptive to what was going on in that room and it made the experience in all this whole thing be even more interesting.

So yeah, she couldn't see him, but she could definitely feel him, his mouth working on her until she became nothing but a trembling needy mess that refused to ask for more no matter how much she wanted it.

Then, when he kissed his way up to her stomach and over her breast so that he could tease her nipples into hard peaks, sucking, licking and even pulling at them with his teeth, she felt everything pretty much amplified.

His touch, his scent, his stubble against her skin… everything.

She could also hear his breathing softly brushing against her ear when he finally pulled up against her body, and now more than before she could detect his masculine scent lingering in the air… hell, if she decided to, she could run her tongue down his throat to taste the sweetness of his skin as well.

With her sight gone those were three of the senses she had left, but the one she was enjoying the most was the last sense, touching.

And that was just because it felt great to touch him; as it turned out running her hands over his strong shoulders, through his hair and down his spine was very rewarding to her libido; he had a body carved in strong muscles that felt divine to the touch and the more she touched him the more she wanted him.

At that point she didn't care that she was going to prove herself wrong, she just wanted the sweet aching between her legs to be treated and the sooner it was treated the better.

Licking her lips and arching her back to him, the brunette woman moved her hands to the nape of his neck and forced his head towards her; then, when she assumed he was close enough she pulled him to her and kissed him hard.

He gave into it, receiving her when she boldly plunged her tongue between his lips and after letting her take control for a few seconds, reciprocating by pushing it back so he could be the one exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Kissing… that was another nice way of savoring him and she found herself getting lost into the moment.

It all took her breath away, it made her feel dizzy with need and as he kissed her senseless she ran her hands down his back until they slipped underneath the rather annoying fabric of his pants, pressing him hard against her as her fingers squeezed his flesh.

Until that moment they had only engaged in a heavy make out session, her hands were all over him, his tongue has been all over her and with their limbs entangled they had kissed over and over again; but now, feeling his body pressing hard into hers as her legs accommodated his weight was making her arousal go to a fever pitch. She wanted more, the liquid heat that settled in her center long ago craved for more and in her fuzzy mind there was only one way to satiate her need.

She wanted him deep inside of her, and she wanted him bad.

"Robin… stop with the teasing."

"I'm not teasing you, love."

"Yes… you are." Throwing her head back, she groaned, rotating her hips against the hardness of his manhood and thus provoking a low hum to escape his lips.

It was obvious that he was more than ready to give her what she wanted, and now that his pants were out of the way he only needed to give that little push.

But he wasn't complying, if she pushed into him he would pull back.. Yes she could feel his burning erection teasing her and sometimes sliding between her slick folds, but other than that nothing.

"Jesus, Robin..." She mumbled breathless, then after saying that she lifted one leg and brushed it against his strong bare thigh. "Just… God, do whatever you want to me, but do it now or I'll go crazy."

After those words he planted a kiss on her jaw, his tongue darting out to taste her skin; but because Regina didn't want any more preambles she slid her hands down his sides and once they reached his hips, she pulled him closer.

"I think you should marry me."

"What?" She rasped out, the tip of his cock almost breaking into her.

"Marry me, I want to marry you."

She blinked, even if she wasn't seeing a damn thing. "Don't be ridiculous, we are already married."

"Let's do this for real this time."

She scoffed, not quite believing he was doing that, in that precise moment. "Robin…"

He reached for the tie and took it off of her, making his face be the first thing she lay her eyes on. "So is it yes?"

Opening her eyes and yes, feeling as he little by little began to slip into her, Regina licked her lips.

She basically had no words, but she knew as her eyes fixed into his that she was done. Actually everything was done, she was prey of his lips and slave to his eyes and if truth be told she was willing to give it all and embark with him to whatever destiny had in store with them…

That's why she let her lips crack into a smile as she said her new favorite word.

"Yes…"


	22. Chapter 22

"You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to, right? I mean I really, really wish you'll do it but it's not like I will force you."

Blinking a couple of times as she tried to force her features to relax and maybe not look as horrified as she was feeling in that moment, Regina clasped her mouth shut as her hand lifted up to the side of her neck, her perfectly manicured fingers scratching almost furiously over the delicate skin of her throat.

She did that for a few consecutive seconds, until she realized she was going to leave marks all over her skin if she kept with it so she just stopped, dropping her hand back down as her eyes kept drinking on the scenario displaying in front of her.

"Well?" Robin went on, he was patiently waiting for her to react or maybe even say something, but the truth was that she couldn't for the life of her utter a damn word… at least not a positive one because the whole thing was just… wrong.

Now yes, she should have known this was what she signed for because he told her, numerous times. He even told her what to bring, what _not_ to wear and all those little details she didn't really pay much attention to. But in all fairness of being honest, it never crossed her mind to think that when he said camping at Granny's with the boys, he meant it like camping _camping_… in the woods.

She thought it was going to be more like setting a few tents in front of the big house for the kids to play or whatever, maybe a picnic, some of those silly games they liked so much and that at the end of the day they would all go back into Granny's, get a decent meal, a warm bath and then go to sleep in real beds and in actual rooms… with electricity and a roof above their heads.

But nooo, she has been so wrong that it wasn't even funny and faced with the situation at hand, she didn't know what to say.

Yes, she willingly put herself into that situation, but that has been just because this camping nonsense was something that was apparently very important to Robin and well, since they were together for real now she has agreed to it.

It was what normal couples did… or so she believed.

Whatever it was, it has at least made Robin happy when she said yes and she has liked that; so even if she didn't see the point in the whole thing she tagged along.

She hadn't seen much harm to it, not at first. According to Robin this was some sort of tradition he and some of his old friends from when he was growing up have been doing for years now so yeah, it was kind of a big deal, but even though he has manifested his enthusiasm to her many times, she really… really didn't put too much attention to what it all implied.

And because she didn't put too much thought into it, she was in a situation now, having a hard time visualizing herself being there… definitely not through the entire weekend and not surrounded with kids and people she didn't know…

Taking in a deep breath that was supposed to give her a sense of composure and then letting it escape slowly through her nose, the brunette cleared her throat. Maybe if she understood what it all was and how they would do it, she wouldn't find it so dreadful.

"Okay so how is this supposed to work? Do we just like… sleep out here in the open?"

Like animals? She wanted to ask but she didn't, she has been trying to control her impertinent tongue when talking to Robin and so far she didn't have any strikes… well, she didn't have _many_ strikes…

"Of course not." Robin snorted, interrupting her train of thoughts as he wrapped his arms around her. "That's not exactly how you make camp, love."

Despite his mellow tone and the promise she made to herself of toning down her attitude for him, her eyes rolled and the corner of her lips turned.

"Well, excuse my ignorance but I've never done this before. Yeah, my parents had many faults on them but they never saw the absurd necessity of making me sleep outdoors. So this is… all new to me."

Robin hummed. "You make it sound like I'm making you do something absolutely terrible when it's not. I grew up without parents so me and the boys, some of the girls too, used to do this all the time. Granny saw it as a way to have some peace in the house so she would send us off with something to nibble on and the threat that she was going to whip our fannies if we dared coming back hurt. Meaning, I know what I'm doing so you will be in good and very experienced hands… if you decide to stay, that is."

Once he said that, he sucked a warm kiss to the spot right below her ear as the palms of his hands slid up her waist and almost to her breast… almost.

At that subtle gesture, Regina threw her head back and let it rest to his shoulder, her mind abandoning all thoughts of camping and whatnots so it could instead go quickly over the past couple of weeks she has spent with the man.

Now… she wouldn't say that the time that has gone by since the fateful night when Robin came straight from Milan to confront her about the divorce papers she sent him has been weird because that word definitely felt wrong, but it has been for sure something odd.

She didn't even know how to make sense of it because yes, she wanted everything she was getting out of finally being with Robin, literally everything; but at the same time there was this nagging entity gnawing at her brain that called for her to resist, to not give in.

More often than not she ignored it and buried it where it wouldn't bother her; but doing that didn't mean it wasn't there… the phantom of it menacing to break free and screw up everything for her and for that reason, she felt like she still held back a bit from him.

She was with him, yes, but she has never talked to him about how she really felt and probably because of that, neither did he. They've admitted to feel something for the other but never had they talked about what was it. Also, the thing about getting married for real hasn't been touched again either so she wasn't exactly sure what that meant.

That's why she agreed to come with him in this small trip, perhaps trying to make the process of them getting used to each other in this new phase a little easier… because yes, them being together was all a damn process.

Who would have thought? But as reality had it, finally admitting to both him and to herself that she wanted to be with him was nothing like what happened in the movies where there was a happily ever after and everything just clicked.

Sure, because everything was so new most of the time there was this perfect idyllic bliss that made her want to take it all in at once and just thrive in the fact of having someone who really got her. Then there was the going to bed together, exploring and getting drunk on each other and then waking up with that sudden urge of having more; but there were also the trials and tribulations of learning how to co-exist in harmony, there was the holding her tongue at times and taming her temper and the trying to appease her doubts.

There was that tight grip not to loose herself into him…

So no, it wasn't all peaches and cream… but she wanted to think that she'll get there, eventually.

"So where do we sleep?" She asked again, her eyes taking on the vast field extending in front of her.

"We are going to put up some tents; nothing fancy I'm afraid but enough to give us a sense of privacy and some warmth."

"A tent…" She repeated, trying to digest the fact that he was going to make her sleep in a tent in the middle of the woods.

"And because we got here first you get to choose where you want to put ours. It won't stay like this for long, they guys are on their way with the kid's stuff and their own so what do you say?"

Regina chuckled dryly, sneaking her hand to her back and making her palm close over his groin. "The only tent I care to put up is in here."

"Oh really?" He asked in a playful tone, his thumbs moving up a little so that they could brush the underside of her breasts. "Perhaps that can be arranged later on."

She hummed, giving him a lazy stroke before letting go of him. "Perhaps. So… what happens when I need to clean up or if I have to use the bathroom?"

At the question, Robin scoffed, burying his nose into her hair and moving his hands fully over her breast, kneading softly and feeling her around for a while before finally responding. "We have the lake to clean up and… there's an outhouse privy available for everything else."

Her nose scrunched with the lake thing, but she was putting more attention to the way he was slowly pushing the fabric of her dress down her chest so that he could have better access to her. "An outhouse privy. That sounds so medieval, what's that?"

"Okay so here's the thing. You are going to freak out if I tell you so maybe I'll let it be a surprise when you use it."

"Robin." Regina said in a warning and he puffed out a breath, the pad of his fingers working her nipples as the soft breeze of the late afternoon swept around them.

"It's kind of a pit latrine…"

Grabbing his hands and basically pushing them away from her, Regina turned around to face him, her eyes going a bit wide as she found his to stare at. "A latrine… you're joking."

It didn't look like he was joking, that's not what his rueful smile was telling her. "There's also the woods."

"Oh my God." She complained… hell, she almost whined as her hands went to her head. "Robin, I can't use a latrine let alone do my _things_ in the woods. I'm a bit more refined than that, just so you know."

At her indignant tone and the mannerism of her hands, Robin sucked his lips into his mouth and nodded slowly. "Alright… so what do you want to do? You want me to take you to Granny's so you'll stay there instead?"

Yes! She was going to blurt out loud because there was no way she was going to sleep in the open, bathe in a lake willingly and relieve herself in a nasty latrine, but as she was about to say it, she noticed that there was certain look on his eye that made her think he was disappointed so she refrained… for a little while at least.

She could wait until later, spend some time with him there and then at dusk she could take the car and drive herself to Granny's so that he wouldn't have to leave his friends.

Then after a full night's sleep in a comfy bed, a warm shower and a good breakfast, she could go back there with him.

Yes, it was going to be a drag because she wasn't interested in doing it, especially if there were going to be people with them but what could she say? She was not like him, not even the slightest bit; Robin was a very people oriented man, he had friends, he liked spending time with them and he thrived with this kind of activity while she… well, while she considered herself to be an antisocial pessimist.

Always the outcast. Standoffish to a fault.

She didn't like mingling, she dreaded small talk and she evaded like the plague social events as they made her feel uncomfortable; and this camping with Robin's friends was just going to make her feel like that.

In her mind it was all a total nightmare. Especially because the kids were going to be there too..

As she mused about all that, she felt the nagging sensation telling her that she was bending over backwards for a man and it reminded her how this was something she just didn't do. As for Robin? She has sworn to herself never to let anyone make her feel like he was making her feel so she needed to grab her things and leave… not just to Granny's, but farther away…

"Okay let's do it this way…" She began to say after sucking in a deep breath. She was going to ignore the urge of fleeing once again. "I'll stay a while longer, see how it goes and then I will decide, okay?"

Robin was satisfied with that, he kissed her to demonstrate it and yes, the mere touch of his lips on hers was enough to push away any sensation that wasn't feeling good at being there with him.

Soon after that, the others began to arrive and after some introductions that made her feel out of place and that made the muscles of her face hurt with so much fake smiling, she told him where to put their tent.

She did it just to humor him because so many people being happy and excited made her feel a little nauseous so no, there was no way she was going to spend the night there.

She would go to Granny's and just do some work in Robin's room, because not minding what he told her not to bring, she brought along her iPad.

So yes, that was going to be the plan, and she was going to stick with it even if he didn't like it because being in a relationship wasn't going to stop her from being Regina Mills, owner of her own destiny and the master of her choices.

And if he didn't like it then too bad…

Decided, she swirled on her heels to tell him. She has wandered a bit off to explore the surroundings as he helped with the kids' tents so she wasn't exactly with him when she made the decision, but when she made it back to camp to find him and tell him, she saw something that caught her eye that made her halt on her tracks.

It was Robin, he was with his arms folded to his chest and his back to a tree as a woman and a kid surrounded him. He was there just listening, and when the boy, who couldn't be more than ten spotted the other kids he ran off and left Robin on his own with her… with Marian.

Scoffing in disbelief because the woman was the last person he expected to see there, Regina shook her head from side to side as an unwelcome feeling invaded her.

It was a warmness crawling up from her feet all the way up until it settled on her head like molten lava, disintegrating all kind of rational thinking out of her in such a way that her vision even blurred.

Clenching her hands into fists until her nails dug into her skin, Regina drew in a deep breath. She did that as an attempt to recuperate some senses into her, but before that could happen her feet were already making their way to them.

Surprisingly, she walked with an eerie calmness she wasn't necessarily feeling and when she made it to where they were, her lips didn't snarl and no, she didn't grab the woman by the hair to make her leave Robin alone.

"Hey." She said, feeling overly astounded at her auto-control.

"Hey there." Robin replied, lifting an arm in what Regina saw as an open invitation for her to stand by his side.

She did, hell yes she did, she even went as far as to put her arm around him and snuggling against him when he pulled her closer.

"What are you up to?" She asked, refusing to even acknowledge Marian and wondering if the words came off dripping venom like she has felt them on her tongue.

"Oh, I didn't realize you came with the wife." Marian said, way too sweetly to be believable. "You should have told me when we talked the other day, I mean I would have brought along some pictures from us as kids for her to see."

Regina blinked slowly, her head turning forward so that she could lay her blazing eyes on the other woman.

She didn't exactly know why but everything about Robin's ex rubbed her the wrong way. Her voice, her fake smile and especially the way she was looking back at her almost defiantly. And no, the fact that she was probably doing all those things on purpose made it all worse.

She wasn't stupid, not even by a long shot so she could very much read into the passive aggressive comment. It was like this, Marian wanted her to know she still talked to Robin and that's what she did… she let her know, and it definitely irked her like nothing she has ever felt.

It was rage and impotence all at the same time, both settling in the pit of her stomach, menacing to explode into her very existence and by God that she wanted to fucking hit them both. Marian just for being a stupid bitch and Robin for talking to her.

She also felt like she needed to punch herself right between the eyes for feeling like that… because yes, she was being stupid.

Clearing his throat before Regina could say or do a thing, Robin slid a hand to her hip, his fingers curling reassuringly around her. "Of course I was going to bring her so no, it didn't even cross my mind to state the obvious in a conversation that lasted less than a minute."

Marian giggled as if what Robin said was the most hilarious thing ever. "Yeah, anyway. I hope she doesn't mind if you help me and my boy to put our tent up. You know I've never been any good with it."

"Well I don't really…"

Feeling like she had enough of those two talking as if she wasn't there, Regina ran the ball of her pinky over her eyebrow before cutting Robin off. "Actually she does mind. But I'm sure you'll find someone else who can help you with that, so… if you'll excuse us."

With that out, Regina grabbed Robin by the hand before he could even say anything, then she guided him through the camp until they made it to their tent. Once there she motioned him to go in.

"Are you fucking serious?" She hissed once they were both inside, and when he just lifted his shoulders and gave her a dumbfounded look, she felt like grabbing something and throwing it at his face.

"What?"

"What?" She blurted out, mimicking his accent in a way that could be considered mockingly. "You know what I'm talking about so don't _what_ me, Robin."

He snorted, his eyes set on hers. "I actually don't know what you're talking about Regina so just tell me what got into you."

"Let's see what got into me, shall we?" She said, her voice low so that nobody but him could listen. "One, Marian, second, you and Marian having your secret conversations and three, that stupid smile on your face when I'm talking about something serious."

Apparently not caring about the way she called him out for smiling, Robin kept the smirk on his face as he moved closer to her, his hands automatically circling her waist. "Are you jealous, love?"

Groaning, she slapped his hands away. "Don't touch me when I'm mad and don't call me love. Is this why you want to send me to Granny's for the night, so you can cuddle with her… singing kumbaya around a bonfire while you just… munch on whatever you people eat in a camping trip?"

He laughed heartedly at her words and Regina snarled her lips. "Are you being serious?" He asked, and as if giving him an answer, she backed away when he tried to put his hands on her back again. "I never said I wanted to send you back to Granny's, in fact I'm pretty sure I told you in more than one occasion how much I want you to be here."

"Of course you did, it would have been obvious for you to say otherwise. So tell me, Robin, are you playing me or not?"

"Regina, listen to you, you're not making any sense." He said in a snort.

Arching an eyebrow, she lifted her chin up. "I'm the one who doesn't make any sense but you're the one who still talks to her, because you still talk to her, right?"

His mouth twisted and she held her breath, waiting for his answer. "She called a few days ago and yeah, I answered."

"Why she called for?" Nodding, she bit the inside of her cheek, still waiting for the blow to come.

"She wanted to confirm herself and her kid into this."

Once again, she nodded. "I see. And you told her it was okay to come…"

"I did. Same way I do every damn year." Running a hand through his hair, Robin drew in a deep breath. "Regina, it was nothing, okay? Marian means nothing to me so there's no need to get jealous over her. She's here because she was a part of this since we were growing up and the bitchy move she pulled on me doesn't change that. I let her come because she doesn't affect me, and I brought you along because I want you here. There's nothing more into this so please, don't try to come up with excuses to fight me."

"Oh I'm not jealous and I'm not looking for excuses to fight you, trust me. I just don't like being played for a fool."

"Well…" He began to say, moving a bit closer to her and trying once again to touch her. She let him… his hands going around her. "I just have to tell you two things. One, I'm not playing you for a fool so you can calm a little, two, you look hot when you're jealous."

She scoffed indignantly. "I told you I am not jealous."

"Hmm," He mumbled, definitely not believing her. But still, he lifted a hand to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Listen. I'm pretty sure the Marian thing has been discussed before but because it hasn't apparently still registered in that complicated head of yours, I'll put it this way so that you may understand. I have zero interest in Marian, I didn't have it before you came into my life and I definitely don't have it now that I'm with you. Besides, I have my hands quite full with you so what makes you think I want to complicate my existence even more?"

Regina pouted her lips, her shoulders lifting a little. He had a point there, because no man with a little bit of sense in him would willingly be simultaneously with two women that apparently were too complicated. "Well that's a point there, I guess."

"Yes it is. But it's quite flattering, you know? To have the one and only Regina Mills being jealous over me."

Clicking her tongue in an irritated manner, her eyes narrowed and she lifted a finger to him, not liking the pleased smirk on his face. "I hate you so much right now."

"No you don't." With that said he pressed his mouth to hers and unable to help it, she just sighed.

Maybe he was a little right and she became a bit possessive, but she was going to lay that one completely on him. It was his fault for humoring Marian and for making her loose her cool.

"I don't like her." Regina said, pulling away from his kiss. "I don't like the way she looks at me and how she talks to me and I swear I'll make her drown in the lake if she does as little as look my way again."

"That sounds a bit savage, don't you think?"

"Well she better not mess with me then."

Apparently amused, Robin arched an eyebrow. "I think I'll have to keep you here entertained here so you don't go out there being all… savage." Robin hummed, lowering his face to hers.

The words accompanied by the movement made Regina momentarily remember that she was supposed to be mad at him; but as it always happened, she succumbed into him by lifting her head a little so that she could meet him halfway, giving him that way an easier access for him to kiss her.

And he definitely did that, he kissed her without any hurries, taking his time and lazily touching her.

She did her own touching too, going from his shoulders to his face, her fingers first tracing the outline of his jaw until they moved along to the nape of his neck. As for him, he aimed directly to her breast, his thumb running circles over her fleshly curves as she moved her own hand into his hair.

Things progressed slowly after that, Regina letting the moment drag her with the possibilities at hand; true, they were kissing almost languidly, but as always, she knew she was going to end up wanting more and more he would give.

It was like that with them, giving into each other was their language and at least on her part, she didn't need much for getting turned on with him. It was probably like that for him too because as if sensing her thoughts, Robin grabbed her and made her lay down, hovering over her and accommodating his weight between her legs.

"You plan on keeping me here entertained all night long?"

"Oh so you will be staying the night after all? Hmm." He asked, getting closer to her mouth and closing his teeth lightly over her bottom lip. He bit into it, but soon after he smoothed the affected spot by running his tongue over it.

"What, will I be ruining your plans with that… harpy if I stay the night?" Her mood, which he has managed to appease with his sweet kisses a moment ago, soured a little once again.

"The only plans I have for tonight are all regarding you, love."

"Yeah?" She asked, her lips breaking into half a smile and her mood improving.

"Yup. Like I'm looking forward to seeing your face after you use that privy…"

Grunting because he just ruined a moment, Regina rolled her eyes. "God you're such an asshole. I should just leave."

"No way." He mumbled, claiming her lips again.

They kissed a while longer, tongues swirling around each other and her pulse accelerating, and when his hands went down her dress so that he could reach her panties to get them out of the way, she just helped him along.

She liked it, after going through so many changes in emotions in such a short time, her body kind of wanted something faster and maybe even rougher, but at the same time the way he was taking his time was making her anticipate every touch and kiss and every sigh taken; but then, before they could do more than what they were doing, someone called out from outside and they both stopped on dry to look at the entrance.

It was just partially zipped up so if anyone wanted to just peek in, they definitely could and she and Robin would be caught making out.

"Robin, are you there, mate?"

"Really?" She whispered, allowing her fingers to sneak under his shirt.

On his part, Robin blinked a couple of times, first looking at the entrance and then back at her. He looked anything but thrilled at the interruption. "Don't mind him."

He said at last, his lips tracing a warm path of kisses from the corner of her mouth to the underside of her jaw.

"What do you mean with don't mind him? He's right there."

His fingers slipped under her dress to pull it up, paying no mind to her words; instead he focused on getting his own pants out of the way.

"Do you think you can keep quiet?"

Gasping when she felt how he swiped his erection between her folds only to pull it away before she could get a good feel, Regina snorted. "You lost your mind?"

"Just a little." He was teasing her, using his hand to guide his cock over her clit, close to her entrance and then pushing just enough to make her feel the pressure, but apparently having no intention of going in.

"You know there's no reason to get jealous, right? I'm all yours." Swallowing hard, Regina felt and saw how his eyes moved to hers. "Same way you are all mine, yes?"

"Yeah." She didn't think about it, she just nodded, part of her wondering what the hell she was doing.

What she just said was the closest she has ever come to revealing her actual feelings because yes, even when she tried to fight it, the truth was that she ended up falling head over hills for him.

How could she not? In her cruel reality, Robin was the only one making her feel alive so it was hard to keep herself emotionally detached.

"Robin?" Another call to interrupt her thoughts.

"I'm a little busy here, come back later, maybe?" Leaning forward, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth again.

Chocking on a snort, Regina pressed her hand to his mouth instead and hushed him. Was he crazy?

"Oh okay." The man said from outside and as if in cue, Robin started to slowly push into her, stretching her as he only knew how to and making her bite hard on her lips as a way to prevent the moan that wanted to come out of her to reach Robin's friend.

"Um… so do you think, should I wait? Because you kind of have the truck's keys and maybe I need to move it."

"Bloody hell, mate, piss off, really. I'll go find you in a couple of minutes."

After saying that, he looked at her and smirked.

"I lied, I won't be done with you in a couple of minutes." Robin said darkly against her ear when he was all the way settled in her and the pressure made her shiver. Then he withdrew almost all the way out so that he could then slowly back in. The feeling was almost electrical and her whole skin felt alive with sensation. It seemed that her body was doomed to keep having the same reaction for him no matter what.

"Okay…"

Sucking in a breath when she assumed the man outside left, Regina moved her hands so that she could touch as much of Robin as she could, and she just had to gasp as he kept slowly driving into her.

"Shhh." He hushed her, his hands moving to her hips and pulling her even more into him.

Regina threw her head back, loving the way she was being filled completely by him. Then, leaning forward and pressing back to him, she searched for his lips and kissed him. He reciprocated, his tongue caressing hers as he began to thrust into her with a quicker rhythm that prompted her to moan softly into the kiss.

From there things escalated quickly, he began to roll his hips against hers, her own hips started shooting up to meet him half way and thus sending him all the way in into her, and as that happened he grabbed her right leg and placed it over his shoulder.

"Is this all mine too?" He asked into the kiss.

"Yes." Breaking away from his lips and looking into his eyes, Regina opened her mouth to moan softly. This new angle was making him reach as deep as he could go and with every thrust, her pleasure continued to increase.

The whole thing was overwhelming and with Robin's next thrust, the pressure building inside her belly exploded and it escaped through her groin.

Robin seemed to have sensed her release because without stopping his movements, he immediately covered her mouth with his once more, his tongue rolling against hers as he swallowed down her moans. Then groaning, holding her hips in place and throbbing warmly inside of her, he followed her, and while she still rode her release down, his moment came and it came hard.

Hissing against her mouth, the movements of his hips kept pushing his erection hard into her core as he spilled everything he had into her.

By the time he pulled out, her breathing was back to normal but she was spent to the bone. Her limbs were even sore, but her aches were a good kind of ache now and so she breathed out contently as she felt her tights getting soaked with his cum.

Rolling back to his side, Robin closed his eyes. "I don't know why I think Little John is still waiting outside."

Regina snorted, not quite believing she let him fuck her with someone standing outside. But it was what it was so covering her mouth to keep the sound from being heard, she just searched his eyes with her own. "Just give him the damn keys."

"Yeah, come on."

Once they cleaned up, they came out of the tent as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. The kids were running all over, a few more people arrived and were putting up their tents and yeah, Little John wouldn't look at her face.

She also noticed how Marian wouldn't stop staring daggers at her and Regina couldn't help but to think that this was probably going to be an awfully long weekend, but that it was going to be totally worth it…

TBC

**Notes**: Okay first of all, thank you all for reading and offering feedback, I really appreciate it. As for this chapter, it's okay to be brutal so don't be afraid to tell me what you think, love it, hate it or caught right between, just let me know.


	23. Chapter 23

**THE CAMP part 2**

"So how was it that you and Robin met?"

With her arms firmly folded against her chest and her lips set in a pout that bordered somewhere between being displeased or simply bored, the dark haired woman known as Regina Mills tilted her head to the side so that she could stare at the man who shot the question in such a casual way.

She looked at him for several seconds because at first, her brain didn't register that the question was actually meant for her.

She has been spaced out, her mind going through a journey outside her body as she wondered how it was that such a big group of grown up adults enjoyed being in the woods, deprived of so many essentials in life such as electricity and plumbing, so no, the truth was that she hasn't been paying much attention.

But when it downed on her that this Killian or whatever he was called was waiting for her to respond, she had to shake herself out of her thoughts so that she could focus on what was happening.

It was that way that she straightened her back and tensed her jaw, her mind trying to come up with a quick answer that would end up any further discussion on the matter.

"We work together." She replied, keeping her tone flat and maybe a bit disinterested.

She opted for that simple answer, hoping that the nosey man with they sly grin corrupting his lips would take the hint and leave her alone.

"Regina is Robin's boss." Another person said in a sing alike tone and Regina knew this one, it was Ruby, Granny's granddaughter and the woman just put the information out there like she had all the right in the world to say it.

Sure, that Robin was her assistant was no secret so no big revelation was made; but it still rubbed Regina the wrong way because she has wanted to cut things out before they turned into a silly question and answer session and Ruby just added fuel into the discussion.

"Oh I see… so you are the infamous boss-lady. Interesting." Widening his smirk, Killian replied, apparently even more curious now. "Wow."

"Interesting indeed. Didn't Robin sit in that same spot last year and the one before saying how his boss wasn't an easy person to deal with?"

Narrowing her eyes when she recognized that voice as Marian's, Regina arched an eyebrow, moving her head until she spotted the woman sitting across from her.

They were separated by the wood fire dancing in the middle of the field, but she could see her just fine.

Now, ever since she has been sitting there, Robin's ex has been sending her way some nasty glances and whenever she could, she would also add to the group conversation whatever she thought would irk Regina, but so far, she has managed to remain pretty much in control. Mainly because she didn't want to lose it in front of Robin's friends, but also because she wasn't going to give this Marian the satisfaction.

She knew what she was trying to do so if she kept her head in the right place instead of giving into her instincts of firing back, she was going to come up victorious in that ridiculous war Marian insisted they have.

She won already, she had the man so why bother?

"Well," She began to say, her lips curving almost maliciously as her eyes bore into the other woman's. "That's because I am a very difficult person."

"Alright why did I think that came out as being so bloody hot?" Killian snorted.

"Because you are a damn pervert, that's why." A woman who was sitting by Ruby blurted out. If Regina wasn't mistaken that one was called Mulan and for what she has seen, the two of them were a couple. They were also pretty much drunk as most of the people still up were.

She didn't blame them, after a full day of games and all kinds of activities, the kids had gone to sleep… hell, most of the people there had retired to their tents so the ones still up switched the lighthearted tone of their demeanor and started with the drinking. Now they were drunk and it showed.

Regina wasn't, she was in fact very much sober. Not because she didn't want to drink because she actually did; she was sure she could bear the whole woods thing with lots of alcohol in her system, but she has refrained from drinking more than a few sips out of Robin's cups. Why? Because she knew how she got when drunk and the whole bitterness and melancholy that always seemed to take a hold of her when drunk was something she didn't need at the moment.

She simply was not a happy drunk like they obviously were, so she better kept from totally indulging.

"I don't know, this doesn't make any sense to me and I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees this. You don't really look like Robin's type… I mean I don't mean to offend you, really, but the Robin we know wouldn't marry his very high maintenance city boss out of the blue. He just wouldn't."

Humming and doing her best not to grab Marian by the hair and slam her face first into the fire, Regina lifted her shoulders, clasping her hands together. "Really? So who did you expect him to marry, his insipid cheating ex?"

Will, who was been just sitting there in silence spat a mouthful of his drink and began laughing.

"Ohhh my fucking… what a burn, where the bloody hell is that lucky bastard? Robin get your arse back here!" Killian started to yell until Mulan elbowed him hard, telling him he was going to wake up the children.

Taking the opportunity that Robin's friends started talking rapidly among themselves, Regina bit hard onto the inside of her cheek, her head tilting to the side so that her eyes could try and find where the hell was Robin.

He has left her there some twenty minutes ago to do God only knew what with Little John and Neal so now she was there, sitting with the rest of his friends around the wood fire they made as soon as nightfall started to menace to fall upon them, alone and feeling completely out of place and slightly irritated.

Now, this feeling wasn't necessarily because of the attention she was suddenly getting, because after being married to one of the wealthiest men in London and then becoming head of the company, she was used to being a subject people like to talk about.

It happened to her at social events, sometimes in business meetings and she was sure that she was a recurrent topic among her employees.

She was aware of that and she has never cared, but now, in that precise moment she was feeling particularly uncomfortable in this scenario.

She couldn't say why, but there was that nagging voice in her head telling her that she was feeling like that because she wanted to fit in… because as she has been doing since getting together with Robin for real, she was willing to bend over backwards to please him…

The voice wasn't happy with that, it has never been when it came to Robin but ignoring it, she drew in a deep breath and decided she was like this because this whole interacting with people she didn't really know wasn't really her thing.

Actually, Regina was a self-proclaimed antisocial so yes, that must be it.

She has never been one to take joy in surrounding herself with other people and in most cases, she tried to evade whatever kind of human contact she could.

It has been like that for her ever since she was a little girl living at her parent's house with her tutors and her nannies and all the constant parade of people her mother kept on hiring so they would take care of her; because as it was, sending her to school like a normal kid her age or assuming responsibility for her own child was something that Cora Mills refused to do.

Why bother putting up with her when they had the money to pay someone else to do it? That was what Regina once heard her own mother say to her father.

So no, she didn't attribute that little perk of hers as something she was born with and in her mind, her misanthropic thoughts and that detachment of her nature that characterized her was as a direct consequence of her messed up upbringing.

It was like this, in her mother's obsession of making out of her a proper lady so that she could offer her on a silver plate to the highest bidder, she failed to provide a healthy environment for her to grow up in a stable way. She also neglected her basic needs for affection in such a way that she never learned, not only to socialize but also to care.

Yes, she was taught etiquette, she was aware of what kind of behavior was expected out of her when in a crowd and her private tutors prepared her to be well lectured as means to carry a proper conversation, but the whole fraternizing thing was actually a lost art to her.

That was why she was feeling so uncomfortable in that moment. Why no matter how hard she tried and how many fake smiles she would force on her lips, she was plain simply feeling out of her element.

"Don't mind Marian, she has always been the jealous ex that can't let go." Ruby chuckled, sliding closer to her so that her words couldn't reach the other woman. "I guess that's all she can be… I mean she screwed up the only good thing she ever had in life."

"She did screw up." Mulan added, her words a little slow and way too low, almost as if she was sharing a secret. It made Regina lean a bit into them so that she could hear better. "I'm the only one of these goons that didn't grow up here, I met Robin in London when he moved out to start working and we… he was my friend, the best of them all I was there when the whole thing happened so trust me, she messed up so, so bad I don't… you know how he even stands…" She stopped abruptly, apparently about to change the subject. "I'm glad he married you. You have backbone and even if you didn't invite us to the wedding and even if you look kind of snobbish, you-"

"I wanted to go to the wedding." Ruby interrupted, throwing an arm around Regina as if they were friends. "I saw the pictures and it looked like a nice event… and there's always free food at weddings. Why was it that you didn't invite us?"

Regina scoffed awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond to that. She would cringe at the contact too but that would look kind of rude so she just arched her eyebrows and looked at the woman. "Well… it was all… so sudden."

Groaning, Mulan lifted a finger. "Shh, I'm talking here, Ruby. God I hate when she interrupts because I forget what I was going to say. Anyway, Robin looks happy, and if he is happy then I am too."

"I never liked Marian. She was always so clingy and whinny when we were kids and I think Robin being Robin, he let himself be the one to fix all her problems. He's a fixer and that harpy needed a lot that."

"I'm a what?"

At the sound of Robin's voice, Regina lifted her face and searched for him. He was basically behind the three of them, a huge grin on his face as he looked down to her.

"You're are lovely." Ruby laughed, pulling her arm away from Regina and motioning the man to sit down. "Come here."

"Robin, my mate. That wife of yours, damn she's bloody hot. How did she settle for that ugly mugs of yours when there are some of us obviously more handsome available?"

"Fuck off Killian, and keep your damn comments to yourself if you don't want me to mess that supposedly handsome face of yours; oh and stop checking my wife out."

Clicking his tongue to his cheek, Robin said as he settled down behind Regina, his legs at each side of her as he wrapped an arm around her to make her press against him.

Regina smiled, her eyes finding Marian's across from her as she rested the back of her head against his shoulder. Then, when she was sure the woman was looking she moved her face to the side and reaching for Robin's cheek, she pulled him into a kiss.

She didn't mean to linger much though, just enough to feel the warmness of his lips pressing against hers and of course, to state her claim, but when that was done and she started to pull away, he followed her retreat, using the edge of his teeth to capture her bottom lip between them.

It was obvious he wanted the kiss to go on so she gave him that, pressing her lips back to his for a second longer; but then, going further than what she intended, he slid his hand to her throat to hold her in place almost possessively as his thumb pulled suggestively at her chin, a silent invitation for her to open her mouth.

Humming because in a way that was hot enough to send a shiver to run down her spine, Regina had no choice but to part her lips to give room for his tongue to slip into her mouth, deliciously stroking and then swirling around hers.

"Show off."

A little lost in the moment, Regina kissed him back, her mind registering that he pretty much tasted like hard liquor and faintly like cigar, because yes, much like the rest of his friends, he has been drinking quite a lot.

It was an interesting thing because unlike her who would get a bit intense when she drank, Robin was a happy drunk.

You wouldn't even notice he was passed his drinks just by looking at him and the only changes she has noticed was that he got kind of silly and touchy friendly and as it seemed, kissy friendly too.

Now, as for the kissing thing, she wouldn't exactly mind in private but she didn't care much for the audience they had out there, that's why after letting him indulge a little, she pulled slightly away.

"I was just being told that you used to come here to tell everybody how much you hated me before."

Robin laughed heartedly at that. "I'm pretty sure I never used the word hate, but babe… you were quite difficult to work with before… you know. But on my defense, I also stated that you were stunning, does that count for something?"

"He said you had a great ass."

"True," Will, who has come back with Robin to sit with them, added into the conversation. "I heard him."

Regina groaned at that, her nose scrunching. "Seriously?"

"Well you do so what can I say? I used to look… there." Robin said sheepishly, his eyes shinning playfully into hers as his fingers ran lazy circles over her stomach. "Among other places."

"You guys are all disgusting." Marian said and almost in an indignant tone, she got to her feet and retired to her tent.

"Awww why is she leaving?" Ruby asked mockingly.

That right there prompted everyone to start talking all at once and Robin took that moment to place a kiss near her ear. "So how are you doing after this life changing experience of camping, especially after using an outhouse privy?"

Her eyes rolled and she shuddered in revulsion. "Ugh, I don't want to talk about it other than to say how unsanitary that thing is. I feel like I need a shower after being there… as for the rest? My skin feels like it has hundreds of invisible bugs crawling all over, I'm itching everywhere and I smell like smoke and earth. Trust me, I can't wait to go home."

Burying his nose into her neck and breathing her scent in, Robin chuckled. Regina pulled away with a scowl because she was sure that she smelled everything but pleasant and he didn't need to experience that. "Don't do that, I'm stinky."

"You smell fine."

"And you smell like forest." She replied back just to say something that would show her displeasure. It didn't work because Robin laughed hard at her failed attempt.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

Her eyes narrowed, taking notice that that there was no one paying them any attention now. That was good in her book. "It definitely was not a compliment."

Snorting and pressing his lips back to her skin, he went on. "Well, I think you smell good but if this is an issue for you we can go to the lake and… clean up if you want to."

Regina opened her mouth to say a good 'oh hell no, I will not bathe in a lake', but the truth was that she needed it, and she needed it badly. Even if it was only to pour some water over her skin to feel a bit fresher or just whatever she could get, at least if she ever planned on falling asleep.

Defeated, she growled low in her throat. "I already hate you so much for this."

"No you don't, and you know it. Come on." Kissing her cheek, Robin helped her to her feet and after saying their goodnights, they went through her stuff so that she could find her body wash and a clean change of clothes. Once that was done she walked with him through the woods.

It was a good fifteen minute walk and she hated every step, every sound and especially the way Robin started making fun of her for being so jumpy.

By the time they got to the infamous lake, she was cranky as hell.

"I can't believe you are making me do this." Regina huffed incredulously between clenched teeth as she caught a glimpse of the man standing in front of her stripping off his shirt and tossing it to the side.

No… she really couldn't believe it; she couldn't believe that she has somehow willingly accepted to spend the night out there and no, she couldn't believe he ended up convincing her to do _this _as well.

It was ridiculous in a way and now that she was there looking at the dark water, she definitely didn't want to do it.

But all the same, even in her negativism, her head turned fully towards him, her chocolate brown eyes taking notice of the way the pale light casted by the full moon shinning from the sky above reflected against his back, making his skin look smooth and inviting.

It low-key made her want to extend one of her arms in his direction so that the pad of her fingers could run down his spine. Not that she was going to do such a thing, obviously… not when she was supposed to be annoyed with him.

"Bathing in a lake… tsk." She mumbled under her breath, looking down as her arms automatically folded up against her chest protectively.

Apparently listening to her, the blue eyed man turned around and grinned in amusement. "And why are you just standing there?"

Once he asked that, Regina lifted her chin to stare straight into his eyes and feeling as if she has been caught doing something wrong by relaxing when she was supposed to be pissed off, she snarled her lips.

"I changed my mind, I'm not going to get in there."

His brows knitted. "Why not?"

Regina shrugged. "Do you even know how many bacteria a lake has? I'm not getting _in_ there to catch some medieval decease; especially if I can't see what's underwater. I mean for all I know, there could be all kinds of creatures lurking in there."

"There are actually not that many, just the pesky little buggers that munches on toes but we haven't a had an incident in the last three months so I think we are good."

"What?" She almost shrieked, her hand immediately going to her mouth in horror. It took her just a second to realize he was not serious. "You are such an idiot."

Robin just grinned, his sparkling blue eyes never leaving her face and then with a shrug, he reached down for the buttons of his jeans to make them come undone. "Are you going to chicken out now? Come on, Regina, this was your idea."

"Ha!" She exclaimed out loud. The sound felt strange even for her own ears and taking notice she started looking up into the dark skies just to deviate her attention elsewhere. "This was hardly my idea."

True, she wanted to wash the dirt off her skin and she told him so, but when she said that, she didn't exactly mean she wanted to go to the lake… and yet, there she was.

Closing her eyes, Regina shook her head. No, definitely not her idea… at least not completely.

"Alright, stay here if you are so afraid, I'm going in."

Opening her eyes as soon as that annoying little word reached her ears, Regina noticed that Robin was starting to slide his pants down his legs. "I can't believe I let you drag me into this."

"Come on, love, the lake is completely safe. I've been doing this since I was nothing but a lousy brat so trust me, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Oh I'm not afraid." Sliding her hand to her neck, the black-haired woman looked up to get a glimpse of Robin wearing nothing but his boxer-briefs walking into the lake and she just had to bite hard on her lips.

Yes, the image tickled all her senses because he looked damn good and because there was something completely entrancing about him in just that small article of clothing as the moonlight shone over him that made her resolution tremble; from the way the fabric hugged his ass and hips, to how his strong thighs moved as he walked forward and the way his back stretched with what she knew was hard muscle.

Looking at him was the perfect motivation to walk into the water, but as if that wasn't enough, his words also stirred something in her that kind of urged her to prove him wrong.

It was probably what he was aiming to do, because there was no other way to make her do something than saying that she was afraid of it. So yeah, it was a trap and she should know better, but taking a deep breath, she just took off her shirt and tossed it among her other things.

As she did that, she felt goose bumps forming all over her skin as the chilly breeze of the night caressed her all over.

That right there made her shiver, but all the same she kicked off her shoes and slid her pants down her legs until she ended up in nothing but her red blood underwear.

She did that quickly, refusing to look towards where the camp was to make sure that there was no one looking on them. Someone like Marian perhaps or maybe the pervy one, Killian.

"This is so stupid." She mumbled to herself, tying her hair in a messy bun at the top of her head and then giving a glance over at the bottle of body wash.

She took it along because that was all she meant to do, clean up, but she also decided to get a good feeling of the lake before going ahead and actually bathing.

It was with that thought in mind that she started to move after Robin, wanting to do it before she could change her mind on the matter.

Now, the water was icy cold and she had to clench her teeth as she moved deeper on it, but by the time it was reaching her upper thighs she just sucked in a breath and submerged all the way to her shoulders.

"Oh my God, this is too damn cold." She complained, making way until she was at least three feet away from Robin. As she spoke, a strained frown took over her features.

"Only a city girl would complain about cold water." He said, reaching for her with his forefinger so he could touch the tip of her nose playfully.

In Regina's eyes the touch was one only a drunk person would go for because it was kind of awkward.

"You're damn right, some of us who grew up in civilization are not used to any of this, no."

"I can see that, you're way too tense. You need to enjoy the little things every once in a while, you know?"

Instead of responding to that remark, Regina closed her eyes and breathed into the moment… her mind trying to clear off any negative thought and just follow his advise because yes, maybe he was right.

She has been so set up into thinking she was going to hate the whole thing that she hasn't enjoy a single moment of the experience. Yes, she would rather be in a resort being pampered but it wasn't like being there was excruciatingly painful.

Yes, the accommodations were definitely not the best but the company was perfect.

It was a weird thing, but the more she accepted her current circumstances, the better she started to feel and yes, cold and all, the feeling of the water touching her all over began to feel exhilarating. She wouldn't know how to explain it, but the water felt alive and the sensation of it lapping against her skin felt good.

"Okay I'm going to give it to you, this is nice." She said while blinking her eyes open to look at him.

"It is, and it won't feel so cold after a while; you'll see."

Yes, she could already feel warmer… or maybe it was still cold, but her body started to get used to it and because of that she didn't feel like shattering her teeth anymore.

"We'll see." She mumbled, swirling around and particularly liking the way the water moved with her. It was almost ticklish, as a liquid lover's caress making all her senses stand on edge. "So did you use to come here often, you know, back then?"

Getting a bit closer so that he could grab the bottle of body wash out of her hand, Robin smiled, pouring some of the liquid soap in his palms to start washing. Regina did the same.

"We actually did, especially on summer time when there was no school and all that." He mentioned as she was rubbing down her arms with the scented body wash.

His eyes were set on hers, and when she started washing her neck and down her chest, he reached forward to slide the straps of her bra down her shoulders.

"Robin…" She said in a warning because she didn't want to do anything other than a very chaste bathing there. She didn't want to risk being seen by his friends making out with him or worse, because yeah, that glint in his eyes was way too flirty.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm just helping you out. You'll need to take this off to wash yourself better."

Humming, Regina looked at him and pursed her lips. In the moonlight, his eyes looked darker than what they really were and for a while she felt as if hypnotized by them. They were almost the same deep color as the lake and their depths wanted to pull her in.

"That's all I'm doing here… okay? Helping you get… acclimated to this." He bit on his lips, getting even closer so that he could reach the clasp between the valley of her breast to make it come undone. "There, that's better."

The movement did its purpose of liberating her to his viewing pleasure and sighing, she took the piece off. He looked, but he didn't reach for her though and she was grateful for that, because she just knew that if he did, she was going to end up doing whatever he wanted.

He had that power over her, he always had and no matter how many times they've dance to this tune, she always ended up in the same predicament.

"Yeah, just perfect. Now if your friends walk in here, they'll see me half naked."

"They won't, they know I'm here so there's no chance of that happening. That means that tonight, we have the lake to ourselves."

"Oh really?"

He nodded innocently, but she knew him well enough by then and when she saw him submerge his hands underwater and fumble a little, she knew he was taking off his underwear.

Her suspicious were confirmed when his hands came out with the boxers on them.

"Give me yours."

Arching an eyebrow at the command and definitely not taking it very well, she did the first thing that popped into her mind to make him come down a notch or two.

"Did you use to come here with Marian too? Did you make her take off her clothes as well?" Her voice, low and dripping with fake sweetness made Robin laugh out loud, the sound rich and raspy filling the air.

"She came a few times, when we were kids and I didn't know exactly what to do with a naked girl. We also always came with the rest of the guys so no, never got her naked here."

Regina nodded, in a way feeling relieved to hear that. That's why she gave in a little and took off her underwear, putting it in his hand so that he could keep them.

"You two have a lot of history." She added as casually as she could, taking more soap to finish cleaning.

Robin lowered his eyes, making an intricate knot with all their undies and then throwing them to the shore. He did the same with the bottle of body wash. "You can say that. We meet when we were kids."

"First girlfriend?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Hmm. Did you ever consider going back with her?"

Robin narrowed his eyes as if he was considering it. He has been in the middle of rinsing and he stopped abruptly. "Did you see her kid, the one she came here with?"

Regina nodded, taking notice on his intense gaze and she started chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"For long months she made me believe that boy was mine. She let me get excited with all the sonograms, she let me go into the delivery room when he was born and she let me completely fall in love with him and with the idea of being a father, so no… looking back at all she put me through, the idea of going back with her has never been a possibility. Anything else you want to ask about Marian, since you're always so curious?"

Feeling unusually bad about being so pushy with the subject, Regina bit hard into her lips as she looked down into the water. She couldn't see anything but blackness and that made her wonder if that was a reflection of herself, nothing other than the corrupting nothing that always ended up screwing up. "Sorry. I didn't want to make you upset."

Robin sighed, reaching for her and pulling her close. "You didn't, that's all buried in the past so there's no reason for you to worry about her, okay?"

"Okay." Lifting her eyes so that she could look at him in the eye, she simply said, fighting hard against the urge of telling him that she was not worried.

Annoyed at the woman? Maybe… but not worried, at least she didn't see it that way.

"So I saw you talking with Mulan and Ruby, glad to see you making friends."

Regina scoffed. "Oh I think you read that wrong, we were not being friends or anything… I was just talking to them out of respect because they are your friends and I didn't want them to know how messed up I am so soon."

Probably reading through her bullshit because he had an uncanny ability to do that, Robin laughed. He still played along though. "So you did it all for me?"

She hummed, rolling her eyes and trying to play it cool. "The things I do for love."

Robin's eyebrows rose in the exact moment she realized what she said. It made her feel as if her heart stopped altogether to then start beating unmercifully fast inside her chest.

"Was it, out of love?"

"I was quoting a TV series scene where a man pushes a little boy out of a window so don't take it the wrong way." She said defensively, moving away from him and clenching her jaw as she found a new interest of looking to the skies.

"Well… it doesn't have to be so bad if you meant it any other way…"

Lifting a finger for him to stop talking, she shook her head. She didn't want to talk about feelings, even if she had them. "Leave it."

After that, neither of them said a thing for a while. They just played pretend as if what happened was the most natural thing in the world. At least Regina tried while Robin stared at her.

"So…" She started to say, thinking that the silence was starting to become awkward. In her mind his lack of words meant that his brain was in overdrive and she didn't know if she wanted to know what was he thinking.

But there was little she could do about that so clearing her throat and keeping her eyes to the sky, she sighed. "The moon looks gorgeous tonight."

Robin looked up as well, but only for a brief moment. Then he was back at looking at her. "Come on, I have a gorgeous naked woman right in front of me so you can't really expect me to be looking up to the moon." His tone, even though coming out as relaxed and laid back made Regina's nerves stand on edge.

"Don't be a panderer, there's nothing here you haven't seen before." She said in a tone that didn't come out as harsh as she has intended to come.

Chuckling, Robin plunged underwater and after a while he emerged deeper into the lake. He came out with a smile and dripping all over. He looked younger like that, with his hair plastered against his head and his lips curved in one of his dimple smiles.

"Can you swim?"

Pursing her lips and forcing her features to look bored, she shrugged. "No, I can't say that I do."

"You don't know how to swim?" He asked, half amused, half incredulous. Then he laughed.

Regina felt offended at that and holding her head up high she arched an eyebrow proudly. "What?"

Running his hand down his face, Robin puffed out a breath. "Alright, I'll show you how to do it."

A laugh escaped her and then her face turned stern. "Um no."

"You are such a chicken wuss." He said, splashing water her way.

Gasping, she blinked her eyes a couple of times. "Excuse me?"

"You are afraid, thus the nickname, chicken wuss. Who would have thought?"

"I am _not_, afraid." She said, putting emphasis on the words not. "I just don't feel comfortable."

"You can start by doing it underwater, it's really not that difficult. But if you are afraid then alright." After saying that, he faked a sneeze and mumbled the world wuss.

Opening her mouth and then clasping it shut, Regina lifted a finger and pointed it at him. Then, she took a deep breath and dove underneath the water.

Down below the surface, she used her hands and legs as she has seen people do in movies do and to her delight, she moved swiftly. True, maybe she didn't move a great distance but at least it was something.

It was only when her lungs felt the need to breathe that she emerged.

Breathing into the cold night and kicking her legs wildly to keep afloat, she went to wipe the water off her eyes, but before she could do it, she felt something grabbing her and she jumped startled.

A gasp escaped pass her lips and her eyes opened immediately, images of hideous creatures coming to cloud her mind.

But it wasn't that, it was Robin and apparently, he thought that it was a good idea to grab her to prevent her from sinking.

"Relax, it's only me." He said softly, holding her up by her hips.

"You startled me." She said, her eyes still wide open and her heart beating furiously against her ribcage.

"Sorry." He said with a smile, but to her he looked anything but apologetic.

"No you are not." She replied, in a way glad that he was holding her because truth was that she couldn't reach the bottom with her feet.

"You are right, love, I am not."

Groaning in annoyance, Regina realized that she was a hell of lot closer to him so she swirled around to get away from him.

Her intention had been moving underneath the water as she did a moment ago so that she could get to a place where her feet could touch some ground, but before she could go too far, he grabbed her ankle and dragged her back to him.

With that maneuver, she somehow ended up pressed against him, his arm around her waist and her legs straddling one of his thighs.

"And what do you think you are doing?"

Tilting her head to the side, she watched as his eyes sucked her in and waited for a reply.

"Well you don't know how to swim and I just didn't want you drowning over here. Imagine the tragedy; so, as the gentleman that I am I couldn't let that happen." His voice was both dark and amused.

"Oh so you just want to keep me safe? And here I was thinking that you just wanted that sneaky hands of yours around me."

"Me? As if I would ever do that. I just want to protect you. Can't blame a man for that." But as he said that, his fingertips traced a path up her leg, towards her thigh and then straight to her waist. After that he went a bit further, stopping at her ribcage and then lowering back to her hip.

Humming, Regina closed her eyes and then she breathed in. The feeling of his fingers on her was exhilarating and adding to that the way his skin felt against hers was enough to make her get lost into the moment.

He felt amazing, as always, and even in the low temperatures she could feel her groin burn into his strong thigh.

Opening her eyes and placing her hands on his shoulders, Regina bit on her lips. With the way he was holding her, she was flushed against him, the hard peaks of her nipples grazing against his skin and wanting to feel more, she pressed harder into him, the friction making her gasp low in her throat.

"Didn't we come here just to clean up?" She breathed out, moving her gaze to his lips and then back to his eyes.

"Who said that?"

"You did, and now your dick is pocking me."

And he was indeed pocking her, she could feel his erection pressing against her hip insistently. It felt as hot iron draped in velvet and the promise of it made her smirk.

"That's completely your fault."

"It is my fault that you have no control?"

"Yes," He said at once. "It's your fault. I mean did you really expect me not to get like this when you look at me those sultry eyes of yours and when you feel so damn good? Because you do, you feel so, so good." As if to prove his point, he allowed his fingers to move along her back.

Her eyes closed for a second as she drank on the feeling. It felt good and it got her blood pumping fast and hot all through her body.

"We had sex earlier on, wasn't that enough to keep you content for a while longer?" She said casually, her eyes opening to find him staring.

"It wasn't… Regina, you may not see this and I don't even know how you get me like this, but I don't think I'll ever get enough of you. The more I have the more I want."

Regina laughed at that, the sound echoing all around. "My, my, you are a smooth talker when drunk, aren't you?"

Robin lowered his eyes and smiled. "You know, I like you a hell of a lot better like this."

"Naked?"

"Well yes, I like that too, but I mean without that scowl, carefree… loosened up. To tell you the truth I didn't think you had it in you to enjoy this little camping trip."

"Who says I'm enjoying it?" She replied and as her fingers moved down to the back of his neck, he grabbed her waist, pushed her away from him for a second and then he accommodated her legs around him.

With his hardness now pressing against her core, Regina looked up to him. He was a push away from entering her and for some reason that made her feel like smiling, she couldn't help it, as she couldn't help the way her lower lips opened up to welcome him into her folds.

"I thought we were pass the point of you fighting this."

"I'm not… fighting it."

He hummed, probably not believing her. "Yes you are, same way you still freak out with what you feel."

Knowing where he wanted to get, Regina pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "You talk to much."

"Alright, less talking then. Take this off." He said, reaching for the top of her head and making the bun she has made earlier on come undone.

With her hair falling lose over her bare shoulders, Regina quirked her lips and then she just allowed him to mess her dark locks playfully.

"Have I ever told you how stunningly beautiful you are?"

"Hmm not really." With that said, Regina threw her head back so that the water could touch her hair and then she closed her eyes.

With her head and back floating against the surface of the lake but with Robin still holding her to him, she opened her eyes to look up to the sky.

The full moon was watching them, she watched solemnly as Robin ran his hand over her flat stomach and then up to cup her breast and when he smoothed one of her nipples with the ball of his fingers, she watched too.

"Well you are…." He said simply, the combination of his raspy voice and the cool breeze making her shiver.

"Is that so?" She replied and opened her arms into the night.

Robin snickered, his erection was still pressed against her; she could feel it alright, and she knew that if he pulled her to him with enough force, he would end up impaled into her all the way in.

She wanted him to do it.

Moved by an impulse, she went back to his arms and burying her fingers into his hair, she kissed him.

His response was immediate, as soon as her lips brushed against his he placed his hands to her ass and parted a way into the cave of her mouth with his tongue.

It was surreal… the whole thing was and rotating her hips so that his erection could slide against her swollen folds, she moaned into his mouth. She moved against him again, making the head of his sex almost break into her and then pulling away.

"Shit, Regina…" He mumbled against her lips, but she shut him up by kissing him harder.

That way, the two of them kissed long and deep, their tongues dueling slowly against each other and exploring at will until Regina was sure that his taste was going to be forever in her mouth. But then, as she savored the moment, he pulled away to nibble on her collar bone.

"Robin, I don't want someone to walk into this." She said out of breath, her eyes closed and her sex swollen with need.

"That won't happen."

"Good, because I want you so bad right now." And really, underneath the water he felt incredibly hot and hard against her and she wouldn't be able to pull away.

"Really?"

"Yes, I want to feel you inside of me."

At her words, he apparently couldn't take it any longer so he grabbed her hips still so that he could slowly thrust into her. The torturous entrance made her moan and pretty much as she did with him a few minutes ago, he pressed his mouth to back to hers so that they could continue kissing.

Her inner walls stretched for him, accepting all her had to give. He did it slow, taking his time as the friction of him slowly sliding back and forth started to make her feel wanton.

Gasping, she yanked her lips from his and pressed her face to his neck. "Robin." She moaned his name and closed her eyes while wrapping her legs around him to make him go deeper.

"You feel amazing…" He said.

Lifting her face so that she could look at him, Regina ran her tongue over her lips.

"You really feel good, tight and warm." His voice came out in a puff and after he said that, his hand grabbed as much flesh from her ass as he could and his mouth reached down so that he could capture a nipple between his teeth.

"Is this what you wanted when you got me here?" She whispered, her stomach tying in a knot as he began to move, slowly at first and then picking up a pace that made her desire increase faster and faster.

Sucking on a nipple and then running his tongue over it, Robin sunk into her as deep as he would go. "Yes,"

Her legs pressed him closer and she felt him pulse into her. The whole thing was amazing… it made her feel delirious.

"I can't believe I'm letting you fuck me here. It's unreal."

At her words, Robin pulled away and then he thrust hard into her, making her gasp and open her eyes wide.

"How about that, did it felt real enough."

Her eyes were dark and wild and her heart was beating frantically into her chest, but all she could focus on was in the way his eyes dug deep into hers. "I'm not sure, do it again and I'll let you know."

He did it, again and again and that way, lost into the moment and under a watchful moon, they kissed, touched and explored, setting up a rhythm that suited them both until they finally came undone in a chorus of moans, soft groans and whispered words. One followed the other, the water of the lake lapping against their union.

It wasn't until the heat of the moment started to cool off and until both their breathing came back to normal that Regina opened her eyes and smiled. He was still inside of her and somehow that made her feel content.

Holding her close, Robin pressed his chin over the top of her head. "Regina, I know you don't want to hear this-" He began to say and she tensed in his embrace.

"Then don't say it."

Grabbing her face, he made her look at him, his eyes digging into hers. She looked at him half afraid half expectantly.

"What is it that scares you so much about this? Because yes, you are with me and you even agreed to marry me for real but yet, you still hold back so much. So what is it, love?"

Snorting bitterly, Regina bit into her lips. "What scares me? How about everything?"

His thumb ran smoothly over her cheek. "Then tell me what to do to make you not feel that way. Regina, I was being serious when I said the more I had of you the more I want and that's not limited to sex. You know how I feel even if you won't let me say it and I want you to feel comfortable enough to hear it without freaking out so just tell me what to do."

Flashing him a sad smile, Regina blinked slowly. She wasn't sure how the mood changed so drastically but there they were. "You are perfect… so perfect I don't even know how to deal with you."

"Regina…"

"You don't have to do anything other than holding me right now."

He did, wrapping her hard into an embrace and kissing her cheek. That's how they went to sleep that night, with Regina securely in his arms and wondering what frightened her more, listening to him say the words or coming clean with the fact that yes, that she was pretty sure she loved him too…

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

If she wouldn't have know it already, Regina would have realized she was in love with Robin when she began to act less like a total bitch to give way to act more like a complete ditz.

Yes, like a foolish idiotic ditz, because much to her shame that was exactly how she was acting, or at least how she felt, like the kind of fatuous woman that used to make her eyes roll and maybe even gag a little a couple of months ago.

It was stupid and she knew it, but ever since she has been completely heartbroken years ago, it made her felt sick to her stomach whenever she saw a woman walking down the street looking completely love-stricken with her partner and sure, why not admit it? It irritated her to no end to watch a movie were the protagonist would act like that, as if a man was the answer to all her unresolved issues and being in love meant a happily ever after

That kind of movie and the images of the happy couples walking hand in hand was just so misleading that she couldn't even help being annoyed; it was unreal and definitely far from the cruel reality of what love meant to her so no, she just couldn't stand it.

It was also sappy and _so_ Mary Margaret that she has been glad she didn't have anything to do with that infectious little love bug anymore. She has made herself immune to it by building huge walls all around her not to feel it ever again… or so she has believed.

And oh boy how wrong she has been.

One would only have take a look at her now, locked in her office, the fire of the repressed anger that used to consume her burning so low she almost didn't feel it and with Robin's chair firmly placed close to hers while they traded lazy kisses in the middle of the day.

Kisses that were not by any means sexual in their nature. No, they were not, they were actually the kind that didn't involve any tongue and the kind that wouldn't be limited to the lips but that would land all over; chin, jawline, nose, close eyelids…

It was wrong, yes, she knew it. But she has been infected to her very core with this love disease and apparently, with her immune system so outdated, she simply didn't know how to fight it effectively.

She just didn't know what to do or how.

Now… about the kisses and what kind of bothered her about them was a bit complicated to explain even for her but it was somehow like this; before Robin, Regina was the kind of loner that repelled any kind of human contact and anyone who knew a little bit of her would confirm it, but she had to admit that such a little tick that she had didn't prevent her for wanting to have sex whenever she had the need.

It was a thing of instinct, a basic need she would neglect for long periods of time but that would eventually ended up being tended. That's how it began with Robin, she had an itch and he scratched it.

So yes, even in her loneliness she has kissed men, it was part of the whole having sex deal and she didn't really mind it, but it really wasn't something that she used to crave or even encourage if it didn't lead to sex.

Why? Because she didn't like to be touched if it wasn't necessary and before Robin, kissing just for the hell of it was an unthinkable subject for her.

That was for young lovers and definitely not for her. And yet, as Robin playfully kissed her right in that moment and even with her way of thinking, she wasn't face palming him to shove him away like she knew she should do… like she would have done with any of the lovers she has taken in the past if they ever dared to initiate with her any kind of physical contact outside the bed.

But no, she wasn't doing that with Robin, not at all; in fact, she was just sitting there with a dopey grin wanting to break out of her lips as she accepted and even reciprocated the man's little smooches and little nips.

It was ridiculous to a certain point, the whole thing was…really, but as it was happening ever since that fateful night at the lake when she carelessly almost ruined it all by talking too much, she realized she was doing things she would have catalogued like stupid and silly before this very inconvenient thing she felt for Robin.

Things like bending over backwards to make him happy or way worse, being overly enthusiastic over little stuff. Even about the most banal of them all, like finding joy in getting home after a long day of work just to unwind with him and feeling something very close to happiness just by being woken up to the raspy feeling of his cheek against hers, his voice still overcome with sleep telling her it was time to get out of bed.

Now, she knew it was very much unlike her to feel like that so most of the time she wrestled those feelings into submission until they would crawl to the most inhospitable part of her being, where they would lay down, all wounded up… at least for a little while.

Sure, they always came back stronger than ever but so far, she has been able to keep everything under control. She hasn't had any more mishaps by saying the wrong thing like it happened at the lake and she was learning how to keep a balance between being in love with him, without fully expressing it obviously, and keeping true to herself.

It was just because of that why she decided to finally pull away from Robin.

"You're going to miss your flight if you stay here acting silly." She said, making her face go a little stoic as she cleared her throat and used her right hand to smooth the fabric of her dress.

Robin hummed at her words, kissing her full on the mouth one last time before smiling his infamous dimple smile. He remained close though, so close she was unable to look at him in the eye so she instead focused on his lips… so very close and inviting.

"Would that be really bad, if I missed it and stayed here instead?" He asked, moving an inch closer but maintaining a small distance between their lips.

"Is that a legit question? Of course it will be bad. We can't miss on Milan… you know that." She scoffed humorlessly because really, the Milan deal was something she couldn't neglect.

She took her work very seriously and that wasn't going to change because she was in love… no matter how bad she wanted him to stay or how bad she wanted to send the application she submitted to become a citizen to hell just so she could go with him.

"I whish you could come along then." He added with a sigh, his voice dropping so very low that she had to strain her ear to listen.

"Why, so we can do the same thing we do here when we are here, work and laze off in my sofa? No way, you're going to go there and make this deal solidify even more. Here-" She began to say as she made her executive chair move away from him.

She did it meaning to reach for her iPad to show him some graphics she has worked for him to take to Italy, but before she could get too far he grabbed the chair and pulled it back to him.

"I'm sure you can email me whatever you have there later." And just like that, his mouth was back to hers.

"Robin." She warned him, trying to sound annoyed, but when his hand found its way to her cheek, cradling her face in his palm to keep her in place, she just hummed, adding some pressure of her own into the kiss.

"Will you be answering your phone if I call?" He asked, pinching her bottom lip between the edge of his teeth.

It was a playful thing and his tone has been laid back, but Regina caught the real tension behind the question because well, last time he went to Milan things soured between them and went downhill with the speed of a bullet.

He probably feared she was going to do the same and who knew, maybe that was why he was being ridiculously clingy and the reason why he didn't want to leave.

He has been like that since the night before, when he insisted she curled up with him to watch some Netflix before taking her to bed where he used all his resources available to get her so turned on she could barely think straight.

She didn't mind that, quite the contrary, she welcomed it, just as she welcomed the way she woke up that morning with Robin's hand running smoothly down her spine, sliding right over her ass to then settle between her legs.

She has liked that, his touch, the way he drove into her and how he took her with such sweet urgency until they both ended up spent and completely satiated, and she liked it not only because it felt damn good, but because sex was a language she was fluid in.

She knew what to do with that consuming fire and she knew how to go with the flow when it came to carnal desires, but she didn't really know what to do with feelings…

Or with those tender kisses Robin was so adamant on giving her that day.

"Will you, Regina?" He insisted.

"Yes." She said as his lips dragged to the corner of her mouth and down to her chin. He kept moving lower from there and her head tilted to the side to give him room to kiss a warm path down her jaw and directly to her throat.

"And you won't shut down on me again, right?"

Despite how good it felt to feel his tongue dart pass his lips so that he could taste her skin, Regina growled in annoyance. They had this conversation already when she informed him she was going to send him to Milan again and she has assured him that no, that she wasn't going to do any of those things.

Hell, he has even been there with her when she has made his work schedule to be so condensed just so he would only had to be there for four days instead of the week and a half she has planned at first, and he knew she has made it that way just so he could come back to her sooner.

So that he was going over this again rubbed her the wrong way.

"I told you already that I wasn't doing that again so stop asking, Robin, or I'm going to her cranky."

Instead of being bothered by her comment, Robin scoffed, pulling his face from her neck so that he could look at her eye to eye. "Babe, you get cranky if your coffee is not the temperature you like it to be and if I refuse to give you a spoiler from a TV show so trust me, I can handle cranky."

Curling the corner of her lips, Regina opened her mouth to protest, maybe even tell him that cold coffee was a serious issue and that she didn't have the patience or the time to sit through seven seasons of a TV show to know what would happen; but instead she straightened her back and puffed out indignantly. "Don't call me babe, it's so tacky."

"No? Then how can I call you, love? Gorgeous?"

Biting her lips because she refused to let him know how her chest will tighten whenever he called her love or even gorgeous, the black haired shook her head. "Regina, just Regina."

"How about wifey?"

"Never."

"How about moon of my life, you know… since you like to quote so much from that series?"

Catching the indirect, Regina eyes rolled because yes, when she dumbly quoted something from that stupid show she almost confessed how she truly felt about him; hell, she even said the damn word and that's something she didn't want to talk about, which was what he was probably trying to achieve there.

Maybe he even wanted them to finally say the words now that they were going to part ways… as if he was going to war instead of a short trip to Milan.

But no, uh uh, talking about feelings was inacceptable. Not in that moment at least because she definitely wasn't ready for that yet.

"How about you shut that bloody mouth of yours and just kiss me." She said, leaning against him to press her mouth into his.

Her effort was in vain though, because when she was about to close the distance he pulled away, leaving her with her lips puckered up.

Blinking rapidly in confusion, Regina watched as he grinned wildly. "You're stealing my _bloody_ phrases now? you pesky little copycat."

Groaning and doing what she should have done earlier on, she opened the palm of her hand and lightly pushed it to his face. "Fine, don't kiss me. I'll find someone to do it while you're away."

Grabbing her wrist, he kissed the palm of her hand. "In your dreams, babe." Once that was said and done, Robin put her hand down and reaching for the back of her head, he made her crash into his lips so that he could kiss her like it was meant to be, long… and deep, and stealing the air out of her lungs.

Sighing contently because this was the kind of kissing she understood, Regina used one of her hands to slide it into his hair. It was a guilty pleasure of hers… to allow her fingers to run through the silky texture, to lightly scrap her nails over his scalp… to go to his forehead and just play with his hairline.

She just loved it, and if you added to that how his tongue was sliding so sensuously against her own and how his fingers broke underneath the hem of her dress so that he could trace random patterns to her inner thigh and that was it for her, she was suddenly turned on.

Humming and without letting the kiss break, Regina lifted from the chair and sat on top of him, her thighs coming to rest at either side of him.

Once settled there, he grabbed her by the hips and pushed the dress all the way to her waist, leaving her underwear completely exposed.

"How much time do we have? I want to fuck here." She said, deliberately using that specific word to add a little air of detachment to the act.

"Here, at the office?" He arched an eyebrow as she squirmed a little so that her groin could meet with his.

Finding what she was looking for and placing her hands on his shoulders to sink even deeper against him, Regina bit on her lips as his hardness pushed against her. "Yes, here. Has it ever occurred to you doing it here?"

"All the bloody time, love." He breathed out, moving his hands to her backside so that he could squeeze her to him.

Regina closed her eyes and threw her head back, a liquid warm sensation pooling on her panties with the promise of what could happen there.

"You can't imagine how many times I've wanted to have you here, to make you come so hard I would need to cover that pretty mouth of yours so that no one would listen, and then to finish inside of you so that you would have to spend the rest of the day with my cum in your panties… sitting there, marked as mine."

"Really?" She opened her eyes and arched into him, her face finding his so that she could stare into his hypnotizing blue orbs. "You've been having those dirty thoughts in your mind?"

"Yes, all the time."

She licked his lips, he slid his hands underneath her panties, grabbing as much flesh as he could and grinding her to him. "How about you do it now?"

He kissed her first, his tongue swirling around her own tongue, and when she started fumbling with his belt to make it come undone, a loud knock on the door interrupted them.

"Mrs. Locksley, I got a call from the lobby that miss Mary Margaret is here at the building… you told me to let you know if that ever happens.

"Mrs. Locksley? Oh you have to be fucking kidding me." And Mary Margaret there? Just great, because that was all she needed in her life that day. "That was your idea, wasn't it? Ugh, I hate you so much."

Robin smirked, kissing the underside of her jaw.

"And I have Leroy right here, he wants to talk to you."

"The dwarf?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing as she climbed off of Robin, her brain going all over the place because what would the man want with her?

Nothing good, probably…

"Well there goes my office sex, it just jumped out the window."

Turning to him and placing a hand to her mouth, Regina bit on her thumb compulsively. "Gosh, I'm so sorry Robin. But I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

He smiled, not mad like at all and Regina couldn't help but to look at him with what she herself recognized as a love-sick stare. It was pathetic, she knew it, but it wasn't like she could help it because Robin was plain and simply perfect.

And even better that that, he was completely hers.

God, she loved him so much and she almost said it there, almost; instead she just smiled back at him and sighed. "Maybe to start making it up to you we can FaceTime tonight. I'll wear that black see-through bralette you like so much and then we'll see."

He hummed, standing up so that he could walk to her, placing his hands to her waist. "Just to start?"

"Yes, just to start."

He kissed her, and her arms went to circle his neck as she kissed him back.

"Should I tell him you can't receive him right now?"

Groaning a complain, Regina ended the kiss. "What can the dwarf want with me now? I swear, if he comes with an attitude I'll fucking punch him, the man has it coming."

"You want me to stay here with you?"

"Nah, you go and catch your flight, I can handle Leroy." With that said, they kissed goodbye, the weight of what they were not saying heavy on them. When they were done Robin left, sending her a wink as he walked out the door that left her grinning like an idiot.

It wasn't until Leroy was walking into the office that she noticed that Robin left his portfolio. It made her roll her eyes because that meant she would have to email him all the documents as soon as possible.

"I'm going to be quick about this. I know what you are trying to do with Mary Margaret and I know it was all your idea to make her sign those documents to represent her. You may have fooled her into trusting you, but you sure ain't fooling me sister."

Doing a double take, Regina narrowed her eyes and rested her elbows to the desk.

"She's not alone, she has me to look out for her and I'll do everything to destroy you before you destroy her and her heritage. You won't ruin her future like you did with poor Leopold."

"Listen… dwarf, I'm definitely not in the mood to see your ugly mug or listen to your damn rant so why don't you turn in those little legs of yours and walk out of my office."

His lips snarled and he grabbed on his cap to pull it off his head. "I'll leave, but when you begin to see everything crumble all around you, just remember that it was all because of me."

"Get out." She hissed, her temper turning from composed to rotten in a matter of nothing. That was one of her many defects, her ever-changing moods.

Now, much to her surprise, the man did as she asked, but not before sending her way a hateful glance and as a response she grabbed a stapler, which was the nearest object at hand and threw it at the door.

It broke with the impact, sending pieces all over as it came to crash on the floor.

Hiding her face into the palms of her hands, Regina tried to breathe slowly in and then slowly out, an exercise she would sometimes use when she tried to regain some composure.

It worked, after several minutes. Still, she remained like that, barely escaping one of her infamous rotten moods without having to make too much of a mess.

"Regina?"

Taking her hands out of her face and slamming them to the desk because who dare walk into her office like that? Regina looked up, watching as a man stood right in front of her desk while imprudently staring at her.

He was probably one of her employees so snarling her lips she looked at him up and down, her disdain showing.

"Who the hell let you walk in here?"

The man blinked, a sly grin corrupting his lips. "Regina it's me, Daniel."

It took her at least a whole minute to register in her brain who Daniel was, then, furrowing her brows and eyeing him suspiciously, she shook her head no.

No… it couldn't be, but now that she was eyeing him thoroughly she could see it… the stable boy she has loved with everything she had when she was nothing but a stupid girl who believed in happy endings and true love. The same girl that once hoped he would go back to her and save her from Leopold.

That never happened, he never came back and instead he left her to her luck, his pockets full with the money Leopold offered him to keep his mouth shut about their affair.

Scoffing at the memory, Regina opened her mouth to speak, but for once in her life she was rendered speechless.

"You look beautiful, even more than before. I mean… wow."

Leroy… this had to be his way to 'ruin' her, she guessed. He was the only person in the world who knew how everything between Daniel and her played out so yes, this had to be on him.

The bastard, she thought, biting on her lips. Then, shaking her head again she laughed bitterly. "Get the hell out of here, Daniel."

"Regina." He said, walking around the desk to get closer, but before he could reach her, her phone started to ring.

It was Robin, so lifting a finger in the air to make Daniel halt on his tracks, she picked up the phone and answered.

"Hey." She mumbled stupidly and so very low.

At the other side, Robin sighed loudly. "Did I catch you in a bad time?"

"No, not at all… you left your portfolio here."

There was a long pause, she noticed because it felt eternal with Daniel standing there and Robin at the phone.

"Yeah, I'll send for it." And with that said, she hung up.

Too preoccupied with the Daniel problem to notice how odd that call has been, Regina put her iPhone down and got to her feet, using the chair as a barrier between herself and her first love.

"I'm serious, Daniel, get the fuck out of here."

Her tone was angry, not because the heartbreak he made her go through or how he has ruined it so bad for her that she was still terrified of fully opening her heart again, but because he has been sent there probably to ruin what she had with Robin and she was not going to let that happen.

"What if I don't want to, what if I want to win you back?"

"Are you out of your mind? That's never going to happen. I'm married."

"That didn't stop you before. You were married when we first got together, don't you remember? I was your first even when you had a husband. You know I don't mind sharing." He said, smiling.

Overcome with anger, Regina pushed the chair away and walked to him, once close she slapped him right across the face. She did it hard, so hard her hard stung.

"I'm not going to say it again, get out of here."

Her eyes were blazing as she fixed them deep into his. He looked to the door and blinked one time and then two times, he nodded. Then, just like that he jumped on her, grabbing her face and forcing a kiss on her.

Sure, it was nothing much but his lips crashing punishingly into hers, but being an unwelcome contact she tried to wriggle free, her nails digging into his neck to make him break away.

It all happened so fast that for a moment she was lost, she wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but when Daniel was suddenly being yanked apart and she saw that Robin was the one who has done the deed, she knew how everything would only go downhill from there.

"What the…" Daniel began to ask, but before he could finish Robin was swirling him around and punching him right in the face.

It made the man lose his footing and he stumbled back, almost crashing against Regina.

Cringing at the unfolding scene and taking a step back not to be caught up in the situation, Regina ran her hands through her head as she saw Robin go for another punch. This one apparently broke Daniel's nose because he immediately began bleeding.

"Robin, stop it." She yelled, and when he didn't listen she slid her hands down to her face so she could cover her mouth. He looked completely out of it, so unlike himself that for a moment she was honestly afraid he was going to take things too far and get into a lot of trouble because of her. "Robin, please stop."

Almost as if her words shook him back to reality, Robin clenched his jaw and looked at her. His eyes were wild and dark and she was not going to lie, she didn't like the way he was looking at her; but he did stop, grabbing Daniel by his shirt and shoving him out the door.

Once he was out he slammed the door shut and with his back turned to her, he placed his hands on his hips and threw his head back a little.

Regina just watched from her spot, her hand still covering her mouth and her heart beating wild inside her ribcage. "Robin… that was not what it looked like…"

Yes, it looked bad because he probably had the impression that he walked into her kissing another man.

"I've been gone for less than twenty minutes, Regina, less than twenty fucking minutes…"

"If you'll just let me explain."

He snorted, turning around so that she could see the way his face was all red, probably with the intensity of his anger and how his eyes were so full of reproach. "Explain what? I gave you that chance when I called you and you said nothing… nothing."

Blinking, her head tilted up. "When you called, you knew he was here?" She didn't get it… at least she didn't for a few seconds; but then it clicked. Leroy again, he probably called Robin or something to make his little show even better.

She was going to kill that dwarf.

On his part, Robin puffed out a breath and walking to the desk, he grabbed his portfolio before fixing his eyes on hers. "Guess you were not kidding when you said you'll find someone to kiss you for me. It's okay. I mean you did warn me, I was just so stupid that I…"

"It wasn't like that, it really wasn't…" She said and her voice came out so pathetically weak that she didn't even recognize it as her own. "I don't know where he did come from. He just…" She sighed, trying to organize her thoughts because she was sure that if they could just sit and talk about it, everything will clear up.

"I'm not stupid Regina, I know this was all Leroy because what are the odds of your stable boy coming back the same day that he showed up and that he was ready to call me to let me know? If I'm… fucking pissed off is because I called you and you pretended that everything was fine and yes, I'm fucking livid because if it wasn't because I showed up, I wouldn't have even know this happened… because you wouldn't have told me. Am I right?"

Regina said nothing, she just swallowed hard down and kept her eyes on his.

"Yeah, nothing to say… just what I thought." He cleared his throat as he took a few steps back. "I have a plane to catch so I'm out. Oh, and by the way, don't bother with FaceTime." And with that said, he was gone.

For the longest time, Regina remained like that, shaking a little and her eyes tingling. She was not going to cry thought, not over a man… not ever again.

But as the minutes went by, her door burst open and a very happy Mary Margaret walked in, her arms extended and a ridiculous smile on her face. "Guess what?" She squealed. "I'm pregnant! And you are going to be my baby's godmother!"

Looking at her stepdaughter standing there expectantly with her lips still set in that stupid smile, Regina drew in a shaky breath. It was supposed to be a calming one, to get her emotions in check; but instead of accomplishing that, what she did was choke on it and before she could help it, a sob escaped her.

She tried to hold it, but once it was out there was nothing else to do than letting it rock through her body.

"Oh my God what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked in genuine concern as she rushed to her to give her a hug.

Regina didn't push her away and while she didn't reciprocated it, she just let it be, her mind going over the fact that she ruined it, that after finding something good… something to look forward to, she finally ruined it.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

"This is all my fault."

Rolling her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Regina Mills threw her head back against the leather sofa situated in the middle of her spacious living room while Mary Margaret began with her litany all over again.

Yes, it was her fault, the woman has repeated over and over again and yes, she couldn't believe the dwarf could do something like that, she would go on… all that before adding how she was so, so sorry.

By then, the tedious words felt like the bad written script to a shitty play and Regina was sure that if she heard them one more time she was going to either barf or just take the glass of wine she was been nursing in her hand for the past half an hour or so and break it over her step-daughter's head.

What could she say about that? The woman has been repeating herself like a broken disc since she has been stupid enough to reveal what happened between her and Robin earlier during the day and sure, after she bitterly threw in the younger woman's face how everything has been maliciously orchestrated by Leroy. That right there has shocked and bothered Mary Margaret to no end, which has been Regina's intention, to make her feel awful about it, but to be honest, she was already sick and tired of having to listen to her go on with her apologies and regrets over and over again; as if voicing her thoughts was going to change anything.

"I mean, that was so wrong of Leroy, to play everyone like that like some... evil miscreant. I just… I can't believe he did that, let alone on my name. Oh but I'm so cutting ties with him after this and trust me, he's going to hear me because he had no right, no right..." Scoffing as if she still couldn't believe what the man did, Mary Margaret halted on her tracks and then, as if remembering herself, she contorted her features in painful grimace and then she hurried to sit by her stepmother. "Regina, I'm so sorry about this, I really am. Do you want me to do anything to fix it? Should I call Robin and explain how you were not at fault here?"

"No." Regina almost barked, lifting her head and straightening up her posture. That way, she stared at Mary Margaret almost in horror.

Was the little fool out of her mind? Never, not even in a million years would she consent to Mary Margaret interceding on her behalf, let alone with Robin. It was bad enough she has been weak enough to show her true emotions in front of the bubblehead and she wasn't going to keep flashing her vulnerability around.

No, she has been able to somehow calm down and control the shameful outburst she suffered at her office and she wanted to keep it that way.

At her response, Mary Margaret threw her head back and groaned, her eyes focused on an undefined spot in the ceiling. "To be honest, I can't decide who I'm angrier with. Leroy for being such an ass, Daniel for playing along or Robin for walking out on you like that."

Bringing the glass of wine to her lips and taking a sip, Regina hummed. True, Mary Margaret had no right to feel angry about her damn problems, even if she was the indirect cause of them, but she didn't exactly feel like snapping about it. She was in an unusual state of numbness so instead, she shrugged and replied in a stoic tone. "Robin is not to blame here."

No, he has done nothing she wouldn't have done herself… actually, he has acted way better than she ever would because the truth was that if she ever walked into him kissing Marian, all hell would have broken loose.

She had no doubt about it, same way she was sure that if that would have been the case, if it would have been her the one who walked into such a scene, he would have done everything in his power to make it right in that same moment because that was Robin, always the one fixing the shit she threw at him.

He did it every single time she has gotten difficult and well, she wasn't proud to admit that has been way too many times. And now, the one time it was him the one who lost it, she has let him walk away…

"No Regina, that's not true and I'm sorry to say this but walking out without letting you explain wasn't the best he could have done. You two are married, you are supposed to be a team so that definitely wasn't his best move. Ugh, men and their fragile egos."

Finishing what should be her third glass of wine and placing the empty glass aside, Regina bit her tongue to keep herself from responding.

She didn't want to talk about Robin, not with Mary Margaret and not with anyone at all. The man and everything that happened was still an open wound and she was sure that if it was poked too much, she could bleed out.

So no, with her emotions so messed up and the wine already having some kind of effect on her, the last thing she needed was to talk about her husband. What she really wanted to do was kick Mary Margaret out of her house so that she could be miserable on her own.

She wanted to be alone, she needed it and she honest to God wasn't sure how she has allowed her stepdaughter to invade the sanctuary of her home in such a crucial moment.

It was all so cringe worthy… maybe even funny in a sadistic kind of way and if it wasn't because she would probably end up crying again, she would laugh about it. Not only by the ridiculous thing with Daniel, but because she now had in her house the one person she has believed to hate more than anyone else in the world and she wasn't even mad about it.

It was awkward and annoying as hell to have the younger woman play pretend they were close enough for this, yes, but she wasn't mad.

Who knew, if she kept being so permissive, the next thing that would happen was MM to make the whole thing into a slumber party so that they could have some bonding moments painting each other toenails and talking boys all night long and wouldn't that just be the cream on top of it all?

It was because she was afraid of that happening that she decided to clear her throat before doing one of the most uncomfortable things she could have done, get even more personal with the younger woman.

"So, you're pregnant. Doesn't that mean you should be resting in your own bed at _your_ house?"

Waving a hand in the air, Mary Margaret chuckled her dismissal. "You sound so much like David. I'm barely three months along so I'm fine; I do however need to use your bathroom."

Twisting her lips in annoyance, Regina pointed her the way. Once alone she quickly grabbed for her phone and checked it, confirming that there was no missed calls or messages from Robin.

Drawing in a shaky breath, the brunette couldn't help but to feel a wave of disappointment wash over her. Yeah, she hated herself for feeling like that, but the truth was that she has been hoping for him to reach out.

He didn't… even when his plane should have landed more than an hour ago.

Now sure, he probably has been caught up in baggage claim and then getting a ride to the hotel, but she still has hoped that by then he would have cooled off and just contact her in any possible way.

Chewing hard on her lips and hating every second of feeling so pathetically upset, Regina decided that maybe Mary Margaret was right and that the best she could do was send the man to hell and just build her walls back up so that she would never have to feel like that again.

Yes, she hasn't gone so far in life just to crumble in a pile of nothing because of a man so screw Robin, screw him one thousand times…

She was good without him and now she was going to be even better with him out of her life, and the best part of it was that he would have to take the bleachers and just see her evolve into the best version of herself.

Because no, she wasn't going to fire him and let alone divorce him, she was just going to show him how unaffected she was that he basically kicked her to the curve.

Nodding in satisfaction while her heart tried to fight that decision, Regina opened her WhatsApp and searched for him. Her intention? Writing him an ass-long message letting him know how he could fuck off in at least ten different ways.

Who did he think he was anyway? Leaving her with the words in the tip of her tongue like that? Nobody did that to her and walked out unscratched and Robin fucking Locksley was going to really learn that night.

Decided and sinking her teeth into her check, she began to write…

But instead of the monologue she had in mind she wrote something way simpler and less problematic.

'_Can we please talk.'_

Dropping the phone after sending the message and then groaning out loud as her hands went to cover her face, Regina whimpered, wondering how and when did she become so weak.

Who knew? Maybe her mother was right and love did indeed make you weak. It was a decease that feed off people's backbone and common sense and apparently, her feelings devoured hers. Now she was acting like a whinny little bitch with no resolution like at all and what was worse, she was doing it in front of Mary Margaret of all people.

"Why is this happening to me?" Dragging her hands down to her neck, she complained out loud and obviously, Mary Margaret walked back into the living room just in time to witness her behaving so erratically.

Why wouldn't she? Because as destiny had it, that day was apparently the let's screw Regina until she has nothing more to give kind of day.

"Regina, I've told you this many times now, but I think you need to hear it again. You did nothing wrong to deserve this. Whatever grudge Leroy has with you has lived way too long already and Robin…" She sighed. "Well he shouldn't have walked out on you. He didn't even give you the benefit of the doubt and that was unfair of him. Daniel forced that kiss on you and as for the thing with you not telling him he was there? That's ridiculous, I mean what would you have told him anyway?"

Feeling as a few stubborn tears slid down her face and wiping at them angrily, Regina sucked in a breath, part of her wanting to say out loud that maybe she didn't do anything to screw up this time, but she has sure done it in the past and maybe this was karma getting back at her.

Maybe Robin got fed up with her already and this was simply the drop that filled the cup… because it has always been in the back of her mind that someday she was going to somehow screw up and then Robin would finally see the mistake he made by getting in a relationship with her and just end it.

Maybe this was it… maybe her time has come.

Opening her mouth to ask Mary Margaret to please leave her alone as she was sure she was on the edge of another breakdown, Regina felt her phone vibrating and feeling as if her heart did a backflip inside her chest, she hurried to unblock the screen of the iPhone to check what was it.

It was a message from Robin and she was suddenly too afraid to open it. What if it was him telling her not to contact him ever again? What if he was finally through with her?

"Oh my God Regina, what is it? You just went pale as a ghost."

Sniffing and blinking the discomfort behind her eyes away, Regina lifted her face and stared into Mary Margaret's questioning eyes. "It's him… he just sent me a message."

"What did he say?" The woman asked quickly as she tried to get a sneak out of her phone.

Regina narrowed her eyes and turned the phone away from her stepdaughter, her brows furrowed as she wondered if the girl mistakenly believed they were friends now…

Because they were not… she refused to even nurture the idea.

"Oh he better be apologizing or else I'll go Milan myself and chew his ear off. I mean my baby needs his or her godparents to be on good terms by the time I give birth."

Snarling her lips at the thought of having to baptize Leopold's grandchild, Regina rolled her eyes; then putting her big girl pants on she opened the app to read the message.

Much like her own, his message was simple.

'_You want to talk now?'_

Not sure if that was a legit question or if he was taking a jab at her by being sarcastic, she took in a deep breath and typed a simple yes, as she was not going to beg him. She may be in the dumps, but he did not need to know that.

Now, Robin has been online when the message was sent so the two blue check marks appeared at once; then he was typing back…

'_I'm outside, can I come in?'_

Outside? Wasn't he supposed to be in Milan? And why was he outside? Oh God… he had a key so it made no sense that he was asking permission to come in so this couldn't be any good… Nope, not good at all.

Having an ominous feeling gnawing her inside out and her stomach suddenly protesting in discomfort, Regina put the phone facedown over her lap and lifted both hands to her hair so that she could lock her fingers into her hair.

"What's going on?"

Regina blew out a breath anxiously. "He says he's outside."

"Really?" Mary Margaret asked before walking to the window to take a look out. She looked for a while, her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing. "Well he _is_ outside…"

Before she could help it, Regina's mouth worked before her brain could and it shot a question. "Does he look angry?"

"I don't know, he looks somewhere between being mad, upset or constipated. If you asked me, I'll say that's the look of a man who knows he screwed up badly so you got this."

Rolling her eyes and grabbing the phone, Regina replied with an 'okay.' Then she got to her feet and tried to look as natural as she could.

It was hard, she didn't know where to stand or what to do with her hands and she was suddenly preoccupied with her make up. Most of it has faded away and she wasn't sure if her mascara has run down her face with the force of her tears.

"He's coming in." Mary Margaret squealed as she ran back to the sofa. Once there she grabbed her purse, apparently ready to leave… finally.

"Do I look too messed up?" Regina asked before the woman could go. She did it on impulse, wanting to know because she didn't want Robin to see how weak she was for him and she definitely didn't want him to know she has been crying.

"You look great. Now just stick to your guns here, as you did nothing wrong. He was the one who got jealous and stupid so make him work his ass off before you cave in and forgive him." With that said she kissed her stepmother's cheek and hurried to the door.

The two of them, Mary Margaret and Robin ran into each other at the entrance, one walking out and the other in; the woman stared at him harshly while he frowned, probably surprised to see her there.

"Call me if you need anything." MM said before completely walking out.

Closing the door, Robin chose that moment to look at her and Regina didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted her to get bitchy and make him regret the way he was making her feel and the other part wanted nothing more than to go to him, wrap her arms around his neck and do whatever it would take to make him stay.

She did none of the above, obviously, she just stood her ground and looked at him with eyes that feel too big for her face. "You're supposed to be in Milan."

"I know." He walked into the living room, putting his keys down and making his way to her.

He did it ever slowly, that walk… or maybe it was all in her mind and time just slowed to a crawl as she saw him approach.

By the time he was in front of her, her nails were digging into the palms of her hands and she was sure she was going to throw her heart out.

"I couldn't go… not without finishing this."

And oh boy, he was going to cut things with her. She could feel it in her gut; that's why he came, to do it face to face, that way not leaving any doubt about how through he was with her.

It was okay… at least it wasn't unexpected so putting on her brave face she swirled on the heels of her bate feet and grabbed for the bottle of wine. Not to drink it, not yet, but to put it in the counter.

Later on, when he would leave, she was going to drink the entire bottle and just try to dull the turmoil of emotions that wanted to take hold of her.

"Well, if what you wanted was to _finish_ things with me you could have done it by phone. There was no need to miss work in Milan just to…"

"Regina," He said, grabbing her arm and making her turn. He didn't exactly looked mad… or upset, he looked more wore down than anything else. "Don't start jumping ahead of things, the only thing we need to finish here is a conversation."

Blinking her eyes one time and then two, she meant to respond by asking him what conversation, since he hasn't even let her explain things before he left; but there was something in the way that he was looking at her that rendered her completely speechless.

It was the intensity of his eyes and the pained reflected on his features… she couldn't do anything but to stare back.

"Can we sit?"

Sucking in a shaky breath, Regina nodded, making the resolution in her mind that she wasn't going to talk unless it was necessary as she didn't want her emotions to betray her.

So they sat, in the same sofa, their faces turned to one another even if there was quite some distance separating them.

"Have you been crying?" He asked and she couldn't lie, the question freaked her out. If he figured out how upset she has been then she was doomed.

"Of course not." She scrunched her face as if she found the question to be completely ridiculous.

He didn't reply, but he did lift a hand and touched the tip of her nose with his forefinger, all that while keeping his eyes fixed intently into hers.

She got the silent statement; her nose and puffy eyes probably gave her away but because she has never been one to go down without a fight, she shrugged. "I have allergies."

Humming, Robin dropped the hand down. He didn't say it, but it was clear he didn't believe her. "So you wanted to talk."

And yes she did, but now that he was there, live and in color, she didn't know how to start. Sure, she could run her mouth like she always did and start shooting right and left, but she wanted to make things the right way even if it was for the first and last time in their relationship…

"I have quite a few things to say myself so mind if I start?"

Regina opened her mouth to tell him a big yes, that he should start first, but because she was half afraid that whatever he wanted to say would put a final to them as a couple, she went ahead and blurted the things she wanted to clear off before they would each go their separate ways.

"I didn't know he was going to show up. I really didn't and I know what you walked into looked shady as hell but I was not…" She sighed, scratching furiously down her neck, knowing full well that she started with the wrong foot by rambling. What could she say? She just didn't know what was wrong with her. But now that she started she needed to finish, even if she was babbling some nonsense. "He kissed me, the whole thing took me by surprise and I didn't have time to react before you came in. It sounds like a lame excuse and I know it but-"

"I know." He cut her off, sliding closer to her, enough so that their knees would bump. "I know it was him the one kissing you. I mean I saw him go for it as soon as he saw me by the door. Why do you think I jumped him?"

Her eyes widened a little and her lips parted so that she could puff out a breath. He knew? He knew and he still made her feel like she did something wrong?

Feeling a sudden pressure go off inside her brain, she scoffed, more than a bit incredulous. "Then why the hell did you make me feel like shit about it, Robin? Why the fuck did you left me standing there like a damn idiot if you knew?" She hissed, her eyes watering and not necessarily because she was sad… no, it was because she was mad… so mad she wanted to break something.

She fucking cried in front of Mary Margaret of all people and all for nothing.

Letting a dry chuckle escape her, Regina tried to get up to her feet because as it happened, she felt like downing the rest of the wine now.

But before she could stand up, Robin grabbed her hands and made her stay in place.

"Can I talk now?" He asked, his hands refusing to loose their grip on hers and the blue of his eyes back again at digging into her own brown ones. "I'm very much aware that I acted with a hot head and that I could have handled things better… and I'm really sorry that I didn't."

Regina scoffed, shaking her head and setting her eyes in the wall opposite to them.

"Yes, I figured the whole thing was Leroy wanting to mess things up, I knew it as soon as he called telling me your snuck this Daniel into your office as soon as I was gone. I didn't really believe him… I didn't want to so I called and…" He breathed in, inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly, as if he needed the time to organize his thoughts. "He was recording you, you know? When we were talking on the phone and you were motioning Daniel to keep quiet? He was recording you, and after hanging up he sent me the video. That's when I lost it and… I should have kept my emotions under control… I know it, but-" He shrugged, as if he didn't know what else to say.

Swallowing on dry, Regina looked back into his eyes. "You could have let me explain things to you, you could have at least given me the benefit of the doubt."

"I know." He said, his thumb running over her knuckles. "I let him get into my head and trust me, what I'm going to say is not me trying to justify the way I overreacted but just so that maybe you can see where I'm coming from." He let the words hang there for a second, his touch moving to the back of her hand so that he could smooth his thumb along her veins. "You, Regina… I feel like even though you agreed into this relationship, that you still hold _so_ much back. I see this everyday… the way you hesitate, that flickering doubt in your eye and I really don't like that you don't feel comfortable enough with me to fully let me in."

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable, Robin…"

"But you are." He interrupted her, his voice having a desperate edge to it. "You probably don't even realize it but I see it. Then with all of this I saw the way you motioned him to keep quiet so that I wouldn't know he was there and the only thing I could think was how this was yet another thing you were going to keep from me."

Regina bit on her lips, watching the way his eyes dropped to the movements of his fingers on her.

"Then there's the fact that this is Daniel… the infamous stable boy. The man that by your own admissions has been the only one you've ever loved and the same one for whom you refuse to let yourself be with someone. So yes, I snapped. I got blinded and stupid and I didn't handle well all of that… I didn't know how else to deal with the possibility that having him back was going to make you realize it was him the one you really wanted to be with, the one that wasn't going to make you hold back."

Listening to him, Regina nodded, trying to find the right words to say to him so that she could make herself clear. She thought for a few seconds, and when she couldn't find a simple way to do it she went for the long version.

"You met my parents, so you know I didn't grow up in the most healthy environment. My mother never showed the sightless bit of genuine love towards me and my father's love was conditioned to whatever Cora would say. If she said he couldn't read to me before going to bed then he wouldn't, and if she said cuddling me when I was sick made me weak then he wouldn't do it either so no, I never had a clear idea of what true love really was. Then they shipped me to another damn country to a marry me to a man who wouldn't at first even acknowledge me so you are right when you said Daniel was the first time I loved someone outside my wrecked little family. But do you want to know why I swore after him that I would never let myself fall in love again, do you even know?"

Robin breathed in and then out, his eyes flashing a dull gloom she didn't really like; she also didn't like the beat-up look on his face. But not letting that stop her, she went on.

"It wasn't because I was still in love with him or because I was unconsciously waiting for him to come back. No, I tore him and everything he represented off my chest because he left me, because he took a check from Leopold and disappeared when I needed him the most."

Lowering his face and pressing her hands to his lips, Robin closed his eyes. She snorted bitterly, because it was a really shitty life the one she lead.

"He was the first person I dared loving and it only served me to help me see that if not even my parents found me worthy enough to be fully loved, that I shouldn't expect someone else to do it. So no, you must not know me very well if you truly believed I would want to go back with him."

"Regina…" He began to say, lifting his face to hers.

Closing her burning eyes, Regina wrinkled her nose as his forehead came to rest against hers. That was how close he was and the sudden realization that she could end up kissing him if she just moved an inch closer invaded her mind.

She wanted to do it, she almost needed it, but she didn't even moved a muscle to make an approach. She just remained in place, breathing from his scent while her hands clutched into fist not to touch him.

"When I said that I didn't do relationships, it was because I didn't want to ever feel like _this_ again. I didn't want to give someone the chance to break me even more than what I already was." Regina said in a somehow steady tone. "But I did it anyway, I took the chance with you. Even when half my brain was telling me not to, I got into this scared out of my mind because you told me that you were always going to be there to catch me… you told me, Robin… and you weren't there."

She felt against her lips the way he blew out a breath, but she didn't open her eyes to look at him. No, the only reason her eyes were not leaking her stupid tears was because she had them closed tight as she didn't want to make this even more intense by crying.

"And maybe you are right and I did hesitate every now and then but I was really, really trying too. You may not have seen it but I was."

"I'm sorry…" Robin said, kissing her closed eyelids. "I'm sorry I screwed up." Then, his lips went to the tip of her nose and her cheeks. "And I'm sorry if I made you feel like you are not worthy of being loved because you are, you really are. If you would just let me show you, I won't expect anything back… just give me the chance to really show you."

Blinking her eyes open and feeling a few tears finally slide down her cheeks, Regina parted her lips to breathe in. She didn't say anything though and Robin took the chance to wipe the wetness from her face with the pad of his thumbs.

"We can't let this Leroy win this one, right?" He smiled, even if there was no trace of amusement on it.

Still, she said nothing, she just stared deep into his eyes without really knowing what to do.

Sure, she wanted to say yes to him and she didn't want to hold anything back anymore, but apparently old habits were hard to break.

"I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything, not yet. I had to reschedule my flight to Milan so what if I let you think on this until I come back?"

"What happened to the first flight?" She asked stupidly, partly glad to change the subject even if it was for a brief moment.

"I lost it. I was just sitting there when people started to board the plane and I knew I couldn't just get in. Then I came here and just… sat in my car wondering if you would even want to hear me out."

Nodding, Regina twisted her lips, her teeth worrying the inside of her cheek as she realized what two fools they were. He sitting outside wanting to come in and she inside wanting to hear from him.

For some reason, that right there made her reach forward and press her lips to his.

It was a brief contact, barely a kiss, and when he tried to put a bit more pressure into it she pulled away. "Then you better not miss this one too. We'll talk when you come back."

"Can we talk in between? Not about this but just… talk?"

Clearing her throat because that could end up being awkward, she lifted her chin. "We'll see."

Now yes, it was ridiculous that they were both being so miserable because of Leroy. But still, she was going to take the time he was granting her and just think about what she really wanted…

"We'll see."


	26. Chapter 26

She didn't know who she was trying to fool; who she has been trying to convince when she said that she needed four full days to decide what was it that she really wanted when it came to her relationship with Robin.

It has been a delusion of sorts, perhaps some kind of smoke curtain she created in her mind with the false hope that the time apart could maybe give her the chance to finally wake up from the dreamlike state he has dragged her into and yes, why not admit it? In a way she has wanted for that period of time to clear her mind and make her realize that the feelings she believed to have for him were simply a misinterpretation from her part.

A fallacy she has taken as truth due to the circumstances at hand.

What could she say about that? After letting the thought run in circles inside her mind, she has been half convinced that maybe she was not exactly in love with Robin, that she just got confused because let's face it, she wasn't close to anyone like at all and suddenly having this man making her feel good like she hasn't felt in forever and providing that human contact she has been denying herself for so long was apt to make her mind get muddled.

She could have also easily mistaken lust for love or what would she know, comfort for fondness… and that only meant that she has been drowning in half a glass and that she could at least consider herself free.

That was what she has wanted to accomplish in those four days, what she wanted… release, not to be bound to feelings that were more likely than not make her feel like she was drowning…

But, because apparently what she wanted was far from what she in reality felt, it didn't even take a day for her to realize that yes, despite her resistance and her fears and all the obstacles she kept putting in their way, the fact was that she was irremediably in love with Robin.

She knew because having him away and in the terms they were in was torture; because she missed him, because she hated being in bad terms with him, because it was a real struggle not to pick up her phone to call him and because the thought of putting a definite end to their relationship was actually more terrifying than just recognizing her feelings for what they were, love.

She didn't necessarily like it, especially when she was supposed to be mad at him, but that was her truth… she loved him in such a way that despite the awful aftermatch of Grumpy's plan to separate them, she didn't want him away, and she also didn't want to fight against her feelings anymore.

It was like she read on the internet because yes, she went ahead and goggled it… sometimes, you just have to stop being scared and just go for it…

The more she thought about it like that, the more sure she was about what she wanted with him, which was everything. And yes, part of her wanted to resist a little because what he has done has been shitty; but… and there was always a but, if she was going to be objective she would have to admit that she has done a good share of shitty things as well and he has never held that against her.

Quite the contrary, even with her doubts and fears and that annoying trait of her of turning everything to shit, he has always stuck by her, understanding her like nobody had before. She wanted to do the same for him…

Now, the only problem about all that was that she didn't know how to externalize it, because one thing was knowing it herself, and a very different one breaking pass her stubbornness and coming clear with him…

Oh but she has tried, for almost three days she has been trying to come up with ways to do it; hell, she even called him once to just get it done with, but as soon as she heard him at the other side, his voice raspy and so alluring as she has apparently caught him in bed she chickened out.

Actually, she basically freaked out and instead of grabbing the bull by the horns as she has meant to she just babbled something about adding some graphics to the presentation… she didn't even remembered what it has been said but after she was done, in a very detached manner she told him she needed to go and without letting him say anything she hung up.

After that she went on a trip to the gym and did the workout of a lifetime, her intentions exhausting both mind and body so that she could stop thinking about him while he was away. It didn't work, because when she was done and she was herself in bed later that night, he sent her a message.

It has been work related so she obviously replied, but then somehow, someway, he managed to deviate the subject and they spent a good part of the night exchanging messages. Now sure, nothing of great importance was discussed, just him obviously trying to rub into her good side and she foolishly getting carried away with him.

They didn't talk about their situation or about _them_, just some trivial stuff… questions he deemed very important about her childhood, like what she has liked to do, what games she used to play and some other nonsense.

She even told him that, that he was being silly, not because she didn't like sharing the requested info, but because there was nothing much to say, as her only joy during her childhood has been riding horses and nothing else.

It was definitely not as interesting as he apparently had it running wild in the woods with his friends so that definitely served as a reminder of how much her life has sucked. He still asked… his questions direct, and even though it made her eyes roll, when she woke up the following morning it has been with a stupid grin on her face and that latent feeling in her chest that made her feel warm all over.

That has been the night before, and now as night took over again and she lay in bed, tired about yet another workout at the gym, she couldn't help but to feel kind of giddy about everything.

It was just that Robin has texted her earlier on, something simple but that was sure going to give way to more messages so she decided to take a shower first, wanting to be comfortable for this.

Who knew, maybe she should take the opportunity and confess. After all this was his last night in Milan and if she didn't do it now, by phone, she would have to do it to his face and she wasn't sure if that was something she wanted or could even do.

By phone it would come easier, by text even better while a one on one conversation could end up in nothing. She would probably freak out and swallow everything she wanted to say…

With that in mind, the brunette rolled over her stomach, grabbed the phone that has been lying over the soft mattress of her bed and lifted it up in her hands, her finger sliding over the screen until it was turned on and ready to use.

Once the device was unlocked and with her warm chocolate eyes glued to the message he sent earlier on, her lips succumbed into temptation and she smiled, her tongue peeking out to press against her upper lip as she considered and consequently gave in into finally making the call.

It didn't seem like a big deal as she didn't necessarily need to blurt out what was on her mind and let alone in her heart right away… no, she could just do what he has asked for before he left and they could just talk about other things… actually, she would be content just by listening to his voice talk in that smooth accent she has come to love so much.

Then if the opportunity presented itself she could tell him…

Now true, if she had to be completely honest she would have to say that she was struggling a bit to finally make the call and not only because the risk of admitting her feelings terrified her, but also because she has always been reluctant when it came to starting phone conversations.

She would rather use text messages instead because well, she never felt awkward by texting someone so it worked perfectly for her.

And… there was also another detail hidden behind her dilemma of calling or not calling; she didn't want to make him think that she was desperate. Sure, it was just a phone call but still… she never, ever in her life has made that first call.

It was how she went by, period.

But, even with a lifetime of going by the rule she wanted to contact him, and not with an impersonal message but with an actual call. She wanted to talk to him and hear him talk back. It didn't have to be awkward… not yet, let the awkward come when they addressed once again the issue of their last argument… for now she just wanted to simply talk.

Flipping at her hair with her free hand, Regina breathed in, then she kept working on the touchscreen until she found his name in her contact list. When she was ready she hit _call_ and brought the device close to her ear.

Biting on her full bottom lip, she heard those first few rings and sighed, waiting, and when at last his voice greeted her from the other side of the receiver she smiled.

"_Hello…"_

Clearing her throat, Regina frowned, her ear detecting that wherever the man was wasn't his hotel room. It was too noisy and well, considering that in Milan it was close to midnight, she found that a bit odd. "Did I catch you in a bad moment?"

"_No, not at all. Is everything alright?" _Robin sighed, either tired or uncomfortably, thing that made her think that yes, she probably called in a bad moment and for some reason that made her feel stupid… and when she felt stupid she would quickly feel irritated.

"I got your message so I… I didn't realize it was so late until now so, um, we'll talk tomorrow. Bye."

"_Hey, hey… hold it there_." He scoffed before she could hang up and a response, she closed her eyes tight shut, cursing under her breath at yet another failed attempt of talking to him. "_This almost turned into the second time you call only to hang up on me, you sure everything is alright?"_

Scrunching her nose and lowering her head until her forehead was almost touching the mattress, Regina groaned low in her throat. "I didn't hung up on you the other night, I said what I had to say and that was it. I just happened to be busy so there was no time for idle talk."

"_Oh I see. How about now?"_

"Now I'm tired, I was actually going to bed. I just thought it would be polite to reply to the message that you sent in person… you know, since I wasn't able to do it earlier on." She replied feeling overly stupid, especially when she could detect a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

She could even imagine him at the other side, talking with his phone to one ear and that infamous dimple smile of his gracing his features.

"I didn't expect you to be busy though so…"

"_I'm not busy; actually it's funny that you called because I was just thinking about you."_

"Hmm," She hummed, wanting to call him out in such a blatant lie because with all that noise, she doubted he could be thinking on anything, let alone her. But following his game, she pressed the inside of her thumb to her mouth and shrugged. "Really, and what were you thinking?"

"_Same thing I've been thinking since I got here; that I miss you."_

Feeling a fluttering sensation settle in the pit of her stomach, Regina bit into her thumb compulsively. This was a good opportunity to say it… not all of what she felt, but she could take baby steps and just tell him that she missed him too.

It couldn't be that hard, not when he was the one who said it first.

"Well…" She began to say, her eyes opening and her lips pursing. "Good thing you'll get to see me tomorrow. You won't have to miss me then."

"_Will I, I mean see you?" _The timbre of his voice, lower that it had any right to be came off kind off throaty, deeper than his usual easy going tone, making her feel high and alert. It was a weird thing since it was only his voice but needing to get a grip, she replied in full business mode.

"Sure, I assume you're heading straight to the office, right? There are a few things I want to go over about the reports you sent and the sooner I get that done with the better."

"_Yeah_." He said simply and maybe a bit deflated.

That right there made her cringe a little and before she could help it, she was screwing things up again. "I have to get up early tomorrow-" She began to say as a matter of fact because before going to work, she has programmed a visit to her doctor. Just a routine check up and more importantly, to get her birth control shot updated. "And I'm tired already so I we'll talk tomorrow at the office."

There was a pause, a long one were Regina could hear loud and clear the beating of her heart and the ruckus on Robin's end.

Was he in a bar? No… it didn't sound like it…

"_Alright, have a good night then, love."_

"Yeah, bye."

And just like that she was hanging up, throwing her phone at the other side of the bed and then groaning out loud.

"_Good thing you'll get to see me tomorrow. You won't have to miss me then."_

She mocked her own words before slapping her forehead. "God, what's wrong with me?" With that said, she grabbed a pillow and pressed it to the back of her head and feeling her resolution of _telling_ him crumble down her feet, she lay down on her stomach and closed her eyes.

Yes, she better get some sleep and maybe clear up her mind because like she said, she was going to see him the following day and if by phone she was such a wuss, face to face she was sure going to get even worse.

That thought right there was frustrating as hell because this was not her, she wasn't acting like the impetuous strong woman she was known to be; the one that would never coward before anyone and the same one who people would even fear a little…

Now she was reduced into a pile of nothing because of a man, because of a stupid feeling!

Groaning once more, Regina pressed the pillow harder over her and closed her eyes. Her intentions? Falling asleep.

She did, eventually, tripping into a restless slumber than in her mind lasted too little, because soon after she has been able to doze off, she felt the distinct feeling of someone calling for her.

Lost and more than a little disoriented, Regina opened her eyes to slits to realize that yes, there was someone indeed calling her. And not only that, he was also sitting by her, running a hand into her hair as his nails scratched lightly against her scalp.

"Hey there."

Closing her eyes back again and wondering if she was having visions now, she hummed, almost falling asleep again with the soothing way in which he was running his hand through her hair… she almost did, but then his hand moved to her face and he called for her again.

"Regina."

"What time is it?" She mumbled, trying to clear the fog taking over her mind. She was still more asleep than awake but she was sure it was still dark outside… meaning that she wasn't sure how he was there.

She couldn't have slept all through the day, she was sure of that so once again, how he was there when he was supposed to arrive way after noon?

Opening her eyes again and finding herself staring into the depths of his crystal blue eyes, Regina pouted her lips almost childishly. She was just too sleepy and thus not thinking clearly; then when she was about to tell him to let her sleep a bit more he grabbed for her and made her sit down.

"Robin… I'm sleeping." She complained grogily, her tongue too heavy and her eyes struggling to keep open; still, she made the effort of searching around the room so that she could find her phone or anything that would let her check the hour.

"So I see, sleepyhead, but come on, it's time to wake up."

"Why?"

"Because we have somewhere else to be so come on."

With that said, he made her get out of bed and guided her to the bathroom, urging her to do whatever she needed to do there before getting dressed. She reluctantly did, brushing her teeth and relieving herself. When she was done, she was a bit more awake, enough so that her eyes were at last wide open even though she was still sleepy as hell.

"What is this? It's four in the morning… you're not even supposed to be in London yet let alone waking me up." She hissed when he handed her a change of clothes. She didn't even look at them, just at him and the bright glint on his eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the benefits of being an early riser?"

Regina's eyes narrowed a little as she looked at him, her brown orbs noticing that not only was he wide awake but he was also looking better than he had any right to look at such ungodly hour.

Sure, he didn't look much different from how she has seen him last time he has been right in front of her, but at the same time there was also something in him that stood out. It took her a few seconds to figure it out, but apparently he has shaved sometime in the past few days and even though his face was already being taken over by a light stubble, it wasn't thick enough to cover his handsome features; meaning that she was able to appreciate the strong outline of his jaw and the fullness of his lips perfectly.

On the other hand, she was looking a mess. Her complexion too pale, her hair going everywhere and she was sure she had a bad case of eye bags. It was far from the image she wanted to portray when they finally got together and she didn't like that.

No, it definitely made her feel all self-conscious so running a hand through her dark locks, the brown-eyed woman shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "No, not really. I've heard of morning rage though."

Not minding her words, Robin put her clothes over the bed and a pair of boots on the floor, all that while his lips curved into half a grin. "I'll get you some coffee, that will make you a tad less murderous as the day goes by."

"Hmm I don't think that will work. Have you looked outside? The sun is not even out yet." And God only knew she was not a morning person. It irked her, to be up so damn early and taking in consideration the fact that they were not exactly in the best terms, she was afraid this could turn out badly.

Biting into his lips, Robin tilted his head to the right, his eyes glued to hers. "I'll take my chances… if you would just humor me here for a second, yes?"

Yes… she blinked slowly. What could she say? Her defense system was all the way down, he looked too good and as stupid as it sounded she has missed him too much for her mind to resist, and because she just couldn't go ahead and kiss him like she wanted or maybe get him in bed so they could both get some sleep, she just stared at him in defeat.

That was how sighing and feeling too tired to argue, Regina got dressed. Her questions about why he was making her get out of bed and apparently out of the house being completely evaded. At least until she was done getting ready and he finally walked her out the door.

It was only then when she saw that instead of his car, what was parked in her entryway was a motorcycle, Robin's motorcycle.

"Okay what is it that you want to do here?" She asked with a frown on her face. By then she was a bit more awake and she could easily read his intentions, especially when he took a helmet and walked to her.

Clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, Robin shrugged. "Well, I couldn't find a place that would let me burrow a couple of horses at this hour so this was the best next thing; besides, a bike will get us faster to where we are going and I'm sure it won't make me quite as sore."

Regina's eyes widened a little as her nose scrunched. She wasn't really getting him and her face apparently showed it.

"You said you missed riding…?" He added, his shoulders lifting a little and then dropping. His tone was paused, as if the answer to what he was doing was obvious and she was too dumb to get it.

Closing her eyes because yes, in a conversation through text messages a few nights ago she has told him how riding was the only thing she missed from her childhood, Regina scoffed. "Robin… it's almost five in the morning..." And she never mentioned that she wanted or even missed being woken up way before the sun was up to go riding… she was sure about that.

"Exactly, which makes it perfect because what we are going to do needs to be done early. Now come on, I'm taking you out for a ride."

"What… exactly do you want us to do?"

His lips curved as he eyed her knowingly. "Why, talk, of course, just go somewhere to talk."

Swallowing on dry as she has been both dreading and looking forward for that talk, Regina chewed on the inside of her cheek. "And we can't we talk here because?"

"Because we need neutral ground for this, a place where you will not able to run from me."

Regina was about to tell him that she was not going to run away from him if he would only let her sleep a bit more, but apparently done with the explanation, he zipped up to her chin the leather jacket he has insisted she wear and then after helping her putting the helmet on, he closed the face shield.

Now, despite her apprehension about this talk, the hour and their less than ideal situation, Regina climbed after him.

Part of her wanted her to resist, to not give into his stupid idea… but she ignored the feeling, and as she did that, she couldn't help but to feel a very insistent tingling sensation in her stomach. It started when she heard the motorcycle roaring to life and it extended to her limbs when the machine vibrated underneath her.

He was right, as it slightly reminded her of the thrill of riding a horse and feeling her whole skin coming alive for this, she took in a deep breath to prepare herself.

"Just hold on tight and don't let go, alright?"

Nodding even though he couldn't see her, she did just that, her arms wrapping around his midsection. She didn't do it as tight as she should though so he had to grab her hands and press them securely to his stomach. Regina took on the hint and she held tighter, she even rested her body to his back, her legs spreading a bit more to accommodate herself better.

Then, when she was beginning to relish on the feeling of his stomach rising and falling beneath the palms of her hands as he breathed and with that scent that seemed to accompany him everywhere he would go dancing around her nose, Robin took off.

Now… it has been years since Regina gave into the pleasure of riding, but as soon as she felt the wind against her as the motorcycle cut through the road, she couldn't help but to smile. True, it wasn't the same as a horse, but it was close enough to give her chills.

It was definitely more exhilarating, flying low… racing against the wind itself… it made her heart hammer hard inside her chest and her breath to get caught in her throat, and for as long as they moved into the darkness of that early morning, that feeling of excitement and newfound freedom never abandoned her.

Sure, it would have been better if she could see where Robin was taking her, but it was still too dark to take in the view. Not that it mattered, because she relied on all her other senses to savor the moment.

The smells of the city fading away to give way to the crisp morning air, the engine of the bike echoing all over, her entire body humming and yes, the way she was so pressed against Robin making her feel another kind of tingling taking over her…

That way that they moved on and they did it for a good amount of time, each second that passed making her feel more at ease with herself and with him too.

It wasn't until he started to slow down that she eased her grip on him, her fingers twitching a little as she moved her touch from the hardness of his flat stomach to his waist.

By the time he stopped altogether and killed the engine of his bike, she sighed, letting him help her take off the helmet before climbing down.

"So how was that?" He asked once he put both helmets over the bike.

Feeling her entire face burn with a healthy adrenaline blush, Regina arched an eyebrow. She meant to play it cool because well, that was how she went by, but as soon as her gaze meet the clear blue of his own eyes, her lips twisted and she flashed his way a full smile.

"Well, that was sure something."

"I'll take that's a good thing, yes?"

Sucking the corner of her lips into her mouth, Regina lifted her chin up. It was dark, yes, but there were a couple of street lights illuminating all around them so she could clearly see him. "It is."

Robin allowed his mouth to curve into half a satisfied grin, his hand lifting so that he could brush his knuckles against her cheek. At the gesture, Regina rose a little onto the tips of her boots before letting her weight fall back flat over her feet.

It made for a somehow tense moment, especially when he took a step forward to get closer, making her think that he was going to kiss her.

Who knew, maybe that was his intention, at least she assumed so because he went ahead and slid his hand into her hair and in her mind he was looking at her too intensely to be any other thing.

Now yes, even if she was aware of how she shouldn't do that, her lips parted waiting for him as her eyes settled on his mouth and in that moment, she thought that this was a good way to do this. They didn't have to talk it out with words when they could show each other with actions what they wanted, what they felt… but before he could really close the distance even more to kiss her, they were interrupted.

"Hey there mate, you got here just in time."

Tilting her chin to the right and following the sound of the familiar voice, Regina saw one of Robin's friends walking towards them. It was Will, one of the guys he grew up with and besides a huge grin he was also offering the man a small duffle bag, one that Robin took off his hands before greeting him with half a hug.

"Regina, good to see you." Will said with a slight nod and she forced out a smile. It felt awkward on her lips because she was still not used to the whole being cordial with other people, especially at the wee hours of the morning.

"Will."

Smiling her way and then looking at Robin, Will sighed. "Alright kids, the place is all yours, just don't do anything I wouldn't do myself."

"That's a far stretch, mate." Robin replied with a hearty chuckle as he patted Will on the shoulder.

"Well you're not lying! Then I guess I can only advise you not to get caught doing anything you shouldn't be doing." Will replied way too loud, making Robin shake his head as he laughed.

Then, without any further ado, her assistant turned husband grabbed her hand and guided her away, a flashlight the only source of light once he went off road and into a field covered in dry leafs.

Now, taking a good look at her surroundings, Regina was quick to realize that they were in some kinds of woods because yes, leave it to Robin to wake her up way before the crack of dawn to take her into the woods.

He was just impossible so she opened her mouth to complain; first because it was dark, second because it was cold and third, because it was way too early for this. But before she could open her mouth, out of the corner of her eye she saw some sort of creature staring at them in the distance.

"What the hell is that?" She asked through clenched teeth, halting on her tracks and thus making Robin stop too.

The blue eyed man lifted the flashlight a little and when he saw what she was referring to, he just shrugged. "It's just a deer."

Scoffing in disbelieve at his casual tone, Regina let her mouth hang open for a few seconds. "Just a deer? Robin what the…"

"Hey," He cut her off by turning around so that he could stand in front of her, then, just like he did earlier on, he slid a hand into her hair, letting his palm cradle the back of her head as he got close enough to rest his forehead against her. "Do you trust me?"

Feeling his breath in her face and his fingers moving into her hair, she swallowed hard down. His closeness was just overbearing and she was like always, caught up into his web. "You, I trust, not sure about Bambi over there."

Snorting, he kissed her cheek, his lips lingering longer than necessary and she closed her eyes into the contact. "They are completely harmless, alright? So you don't have to worry about that."

"_They_… you mean that as in more than one?"

"Well yes, there are definitely more than one. Shall we go on?"

Sucking in a shaky breath but with the feeling of his fingers laced with hers reassuring, Regina cleared her throat and nodded, walking with him deeper into the woods.

Like he promised, there were more than just one deer, she saw them all over, but they had no interest whatsoever in them and when Robin finally chose a spot on top of a small hill overlooking a small lake, they didn't even spare them a glance.

"What is this place?" She asked once he took a small blanket out of the duffle bag and spread it on the ground so that she could sit.

"Let's just say it's a sanctuary close to the city. You said the one thing you missed about your childhood was riding and well, this is what I miss. The fresh air, the peace, watching the sun rise."

"Is that why we are here, to watch the sun rise?" She asked, not entirely hung up about the idea. Sure, if she had to pick she would be in bed sleeping, but now that she was there, wide awake and with adrenaline still pumping her heart, the whole thing sounded kind of appealing.

"Partly…" He said, sitting by her side while taking out of the bag a thermos with the promised coffee. "I thought it was a good spot so we could talk about what happened and all of that."

Her face lowered a little and she pushed her tongue hard against her teeth, her heart starting to beat erratically against her ribcage for reasons other than the ride.

And yes, she knew they needed to have this talk, it was almost necessary, but that didn't mean she was thrilled about it. She has never been good with opening up and she was afraid the kind of one on one he wanted to have was the kind where everything was laid out.

"Okay…" She said and just by that simple word she was sure she was going to choke.

"But first coffee. I've worked with you long enough to know you are far easier to deal with after your morning dose of caffeine."

After saying that, he served some of the precious liquid into a cup and offered it to her.

Regina watched him, wondering how many times he has done this, getting coffee to settle her down. "Is that why you got into receiving me every morning with coffee? So you could deal with me?" She asked as easy going as she could, going back to memory lane to remember how it has been between them before the whole deal with her papers and their marriage began.

He has been her assistant, no more than that, and a very cheeky one might she add.

Robin's face screwed a little at the question, but when he looked at her there was nothing but calmness in his stare. "Okay so you say it that way and it doesn't sound so good, right?"

"It's okay." She rolled her eyes. "I know I'm not the easiest person to be around and as a boss I can be a bit more intense than usual. I know… how I can be overbearing… at times… most of the time, actually." She chuckled, even when there was no trace of amusement in the outburst.

She also used a hand to smooth compulsively the fabric of her black leggings as it covered her thigh because well, they were not even two minutes into their conversation and her bad traits were already coming to light.

And that couldn't be good.

As it sensing her discomfort, Robin reached for her hand and turning it palm up, he intertwined his fingers with hers. "You can be intense, yes, but I think I managed just fine."

The words bounced inside her head, that was why she busied herself with the coffee, as a way to ease down her sudden nerves.

God… if only instead of coffee he would have brought some alcohol, a little bit of that would have help her loosen her tongue and maybe give her the courage she was certainly lacking. But there was no alcohol, just what she had in her cup so she drank the hot dark beverage… all until the way he was looking at her made her eyes go to him.

"Not so good apparently, or you wouldn't have dragged me into the middle of nowhere to talk."

Breathing in and furiously scratching the back of his neck, Robin squeezed her hand.

"Not so bad or you wouldn't be here, willing to listen to me." He let that linger in the air for a few seconds before going on. "Which leads me to this; Regina…I feel like I need to start this by apologizing again… because you were right. I once promised to you that I was not going to ever let you fall and I did, I let you down. I let myself be carried away by some feelings I shouldn't have been nurturing in the first place and that… well, that didn't age well. It's no excuse, I know but I… sometimes feel a bit insecure about why is it what you agreed into being with me and that day I let it all get in my head."

Her eyes narrowed and she scoffed. This was the second time he voiced having those doubts and she wanted to clarify that "You feel insecure? Why?" She shook her head, as she didn't exactly get it. "It should be the other way around… I'm the one who doesn't get why you are so set up into putting up with me. I've screwed up so many times and you're still here."

True, last time she wasn't the one screwing up but that didn't take from all of the times it has been her.

At her words, Robin's eyes danced over her face and he shifted his position so that he could face her. "There's a easy answer there, I'm here because I love you, and because I want everything with you."

Caught by surprise not only by the words but by the easy way in which he said them, as if they were the most common thing to toss around, Regina felt her heart shrink inside her chest to the side of a peanut only to have it grow back ten times its normal size.

It was physically painful to have that happening and the gasp that escaped pass her lips was supposed to alleviate some of the pressure.

"I know that's not what you want to hear or what you want me to feel but it's what I have here." He whispered, lifting her hand and pressing it to his chest.

Blowing out a breath and her face falling a little, Regina closed her fist over the fabric of his shirt. "Robin-"

"I don't expect you to say or to feel anything back… I just… I get that it might be a tad too much but I feel like you need to know so you understand where I come from. As for what happened… I am really sorry I acted like a dick and… I don't want to loose what we had because of one stupid mistake from my part so please just tell me how to fix this…"

Not really knowing what to say to all of that, the brunette blinked a couple of times. Her eyes itched, her heart was out of control and she could even feel herself trembling a little.

It was the moment, her moment to break from the chains that have been keeping her from reaching out.

"Robin, I… I… don't… I'm not mad about what happened. I mean… I was upset and I…" God when did she lost her ability to speak coherently? And why couldn't she just say it without the words getting stuck in her throat? "I would also want for things to be like they were. I… would like that very much." And there, once again she cowardly kept it inside of her…

Exhaling loudly, Robin reached for her and hugged her to his chest, one hand to the back of her head and the other one around her waist. He didn't say anything though, he just pressed his mouth to her temple and lingered there.

Now, even when she was disappointed with her lack of resolve, Regina did not want to just be there like a blob so she wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes closed as his embrace warmed her to her very core.

It was nice, soothing even and she had to breathe into the moment to fully appreciate it.

"God, I missed this, I missed you." He said and taking a leap of faith, she decided to let him know that she reciprocated the sentiment.

"I missed you too." There… baby steps, she thought, but not wanting to be too corny she added something that would sound more like herself. "But I'll kill you if you ever feel like getting stupid again."

Laughing a raspy laugh that broke the silence that surrounded them in such a way that it made the nearest deer take flight, Robin held her tighter. "I won't."

"Good, now just kiss me."

He did, his face angling the right way so that his mouth could finally claim hers. That way he kissed her, his tongue pushing pass her lips and seeking hers almost desperately.

Lowering her hands to his chest and then sliding them to the nape of his neck, Regina kissed him back and God she has truly missed him. The way his tongue would move along hers, how his hands felt roaming her back, how he smelled…

She wasn't sure how and when that happened, but she has become such a sucker for him… he didn't even know how much.

Breaking away from his lips but keeping close to him, she bumped her nose to his. She could tell him… she could let him know right in that moment how much into him she really was.

"What I said-" He spoke, interrupting her thoughts while pressing his forehead to hers. "I don't want to feel like this is a bad thing or a secret I have to keep away from you, Regina… I want to be able to say it and show it without having you freak out."

Musing about his request for a second and considering that it was a fair thing, she nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek as his fingers caressed their way into her hair once again. "Okay."

"Yeah?" He asked suspiciously, almost as if has been expecting another answer.

She nodded again, her face way too serious. Robin smiled, kissing the tip of her nose and then the corner of her lips. "Alright then," He said, using the hand he had in her hair to angle her face towards him. "Because Regina Mills, I plan to tell you pretty often, until it drills into that stubborn head of yours and then a tad more. I love you."

Her eyes rolled because she could just see him acting this silly for the rest of his days, but when his mouth searched for hers again, she kissed him, and when his hands started to take her jacket off, she help him along.

It all happened fast after that, too fast, and when she was able to stop for a second to think about what was happening, she was straddling him as his hands, having sneaked under her shirt, were pulling her breast out of her bra so that his hand could brush over the exposed skin.

Finding no resistance, Robin went a bit further, the pad of his fingers ghosting over her nipples first and then rolling over the hard peaks, the rest of her flesh breaking into goosebumps with the touch.

Humming and keeping her eyes closed so that she wouldn't have to stare into some random deer's eyes, Regina threw her head back.

She liked what Robin was doing, so pushing herself into him a bit harder, she ended up feeling how a very distinct bulge she has come to know so well pushed back against her.

The feeling made a shiver run down her spine and she trembled, her hips grinding against him, rotating a little so she could feel him better.

And as she did that, his hands sneaked out of her shirt to settle on her ass, pulling her even closer if it was possible.

"Shit, Regina… I love you… and I want you so bad right now, you don't even know." He hissed right before kissing her once again.

Moaning into the kiss and feeling like she needed more, her hand slid between their bodies, reaching for his belt to take it off. He got the hint and without breaking the kiss, he helped her.

With their tongues dwelling for dominance and the repercussions of what they were doing eluding her, she savored the moment, exploring his mouth and getting drunk on the taste of him.

If felt amazing, it made her stomach tighten as a liquid warm sensation soaked her between her legs.

It was crazy, after all they were in a public space… surrounded by some wildlife so no, she shouldn't be doing this. Then there was the subject of her shot. She needed to be covered by some sort of birth control to engage in such acts and because she was there with him, she was probably going to miss the doctor's appointment.

"You have a condom here?"

He frowned as she took her hand away so that he could work himself with the inconvenience of his belt. "A condom? No… I don't… have a condom, why?"

She bit on her lips, watching him work on undoing his pants, and as she watched, she brushed her hair away from her face.

Now sure, they have never used a condom before so the question was a very valid one, but she didn't feel like explaining it all to him with intricate details. "I'm not onto anything… you know, birth control."

He kissed her mouth. "Okay… well, that's not necessarily bad, right?"

She chuckled, amused, but when she didn't laugh along and instead just kissed a trail down her neck, she gasped. "Of course it is bad… Robin."

"Having my baby is bad?"

"If you mean like on purpose then yes." Was he seriously asking that? He more than anyone should know that she couldn't even take good care of herself so imagine the disaster she would be with a baby.

"Take this off." Not minding her words, he said while yanking at her pants, his voice so low in his throat that she shivered.

That was when she knew she was going to make a quick run to the drug store as soon as they returned to civilization, because she was going to need one of those morning after pills.

It was careless, yes, and she was never careless in that aspect, but she wanted him too bad to wait.

With that in mind, she started to kick off her pants, struggling when it was time to roll them pass her shoes and snarling her lips in annoyance when Robin snickered at her request that he help her fix the mess between the leggings and her boots.

Then when that was done she kissed him again, taking back her previous position over him.

There was no need to talk much after that, and there was no need to stop kissing him either so she kept on. For once she didn't mind where she was, or the animals roaming around or the fact that her ass was exposed for the world to see, all she cared was how the man kissing her senseless was making her feel.

Besides, it wasn't like they were in a crowded place so there was nobody to see.

Sure, her mind wanted to argue that it may be dark now, but that it wasn't going to be for too long as dawn was fast approaching, meaning that anyone who would go by them would definitely see them being all indecent and still, she didn't care.

She just kissed him, at least until he made her lift a little; because for that he did break away from her mouth for a second, so that he could focus on what he was doing.

Swallowing hard down, Regina took that moment to look at him. His face was a mask of pure concentration, his eyes the darkest blue she has seen in them and his moistened lips more inviting that ever. He was perfect, inside out and she didn't think she would ever want to let go of him.

Now if only she could voice it, if only she could tell him.

Blinking a couple of times and breathing hard through her mouth, Regina observed as he settled her back on him and she could definitely feel his naked cock against the bare groin.

That right there made her shiver once again and she knew that she was going to be a goner as soon as he entered her. But he didn't even tried to, he just pulled her shirt over her head and went straight for her breast. One in his hand, kneading and feeling around and the other one into his mouth, his tongue swirling around her nipple before sucking at it.

It felt good, perfect, and it made her growl and she pushed her groin to his, desperately needing to feel the hardness of him sliding in.

"Robin…" She breathed out in a plead, her face burying into the crook of his neck. She wanted him, and that he wasn't even trying to fuck her senseless made her feel desperate.

Patience was something she has always lacked and in that moment he was testing it.

"Tell me what you want." He breathed out, his tongue sliding from her nipple and running up to the underside of her jaw.

"You, I want you."

Determined, she reached for him, her hand searching and finding his erection while wrapping her fingers around him.

"And I want this."

"All yours, babe."

"Don't call me that." She groaned, not because she hated it because she has warmed to the idea of him calling her like that, but just because it was their thing, he would call her babe just to irk her and she would pretend not to like it.

Smiling against her skin because the asshole knew, he moved one hand to her ass, pulling her closer. Regina took the moment to give a few jerks to his cock, her hand sliding up and down until she heard the way he sucked in a breath.

He sounded hot, and in that moment she didn't even care that he was still fully clothed while she was basically naked… in the woods; all she wanted she wanted right there and in that moment.

"I want you now." She said in his ear, her tongue darting out to run over his earlobe and then biting into it. "But you do have to pull out, okay?" She said, just in case. She would still get the pills but one couldn't be too careful.

"Whatever you want." He hummed, then when she lifted her hips and started to line him up to her entrance, he grabbed hard on her hips and hissed.

Kissing him, she stroked him some more, swirling her wrist and thus making the head of his cock brush against the wetness between her legs.

"But just so you know, I wouldn't mind it. I mean we don't have to search for it but if it happens then it happens." He said, obviously referring to the pulling out thing. Regina almost did a double take at that while his hands moved to her ass, feeling around her flesh.

"Oh my God shut up." She said at last because she didn't want to ruin the moment. That's why she kissed him deeper and eased herself on him, his length stretching her in the most delicious way. "Oh..."

She gasped, her limbs trembling. Maybe it was because she was exposed to the cold or just because he felt too damn good buried inside of her. Whatever it was it made her press more into him.

"This what you wanted?" He panted, settling all the way in.

Regina hummed against his mouth, digging her nails to the back of his neck. "Yes… this, and you… you have no idea how much."

"God, Regina, I love you."

With her heart swelling at the sound of that, the brown-eyed kissed him hard, her body rocking against him as he pushed into her over and over again.

It was an old dance, the one they had, hips searching almost frantically one another as hands roamed all over. She alternated between running her fingers over his back and into his hair and his were firmly set on her ass, occasionally venturing down between her cheeks to press against her pucker.

They did that until it all seemed too much, until the sun started to show its face in the horizon and the first rays of lights started to shine on them.

"You're missing… the sunrise." She said a bit out of breath as she looked up, the panorama of the misty forest and a deer standing proud in that new day catching her attention. It made her look focus for a moment as she was actually mystified with what she was seeing.

"Are you close, babe… because I don't think I can hold much."

Looking at him, she parted her lips and without thinking it too much, she drew on a shaky breath. "I love you… too, so much."

"What?" He asked with a smile, halting all movement so that he could stare into her eyes. "What did you just say?"

With her heart rioting inside her chest, Regina's eyes moved over his, her instinct of fleeing the scene overwhelming. But she didn't, she just stared back with a dazed expression on her face.

She did it, she said it and nothing bad happened, nothing fell off of her, no curse was casted upon her she just… got it off her chest.

"Regina…"

"I said that I love you… I didn't say you should stop though, so…"

He snorted, knowing that he better not to push it so that way, he went back to what he was doing.

Feeling like she just dropped a ten thousand deadweight off her shoulders, Regina moved her hips against his, quickly recovering her mood. Then after a few more thrusts she came undone in his arms.

It was crazy, it was as if her womb exploded in pure ecstasy as he kept going at it, his cock sliding deliciously into her contracting entrance sending sharps pangs of pleasure all over her body. Then came the way he grabbed her ass even harder and started to slam into her and that was it, she was lost in sensation.

It was intense, she came hard, clutching to him as he swallowed her moans into his kiss.

"I have to pull out…" He said while she was still riding on her own climax and taken by some madness, she shook her head no.

What could she say? She was too far gone and in that state, she wanted him to keep going; she also wanted to run her hands through his hair and she wanted to pull from the kiss and scream; but she wasn't able to break from his lips so she just buried her fingers in his hair and enjoyed the ride.

He came soon after, holding her closer and breaking the kiss to let out a few grunts. She watched him, his lips parted and his eyes obscenely set on hers. It was too much, and if the moment he exploded inside of her wasn't enough, the way he kept his eyes on her was what did it and she came again.

They rode they wave together, and when their breathing started to settle back to normal they kissed, this time his hands tangling in her hair.

"Shit, babe." He said. He was still inside of her and she chuckled at the annoying pet name. "That was amazing."

Blowing out a breath, Regina looked around the wildlife. "Well the audience is not impressed."

Patting her ass, Robin put a finger to her chin and made her look at him. "I love you; I need you to always know that, okay?"

"I know." She said, biting into her lips. "And what I said… it's true, I know I don't always show it or say it… but I do… love you."

He smiled almost sheepishly, his eyes digging into hers as she realized that every time she said it, the easier it was to repeat it. Not like she wanted to overuse the word, that was Robin's job, but she did feel better saying it.

"Okay… then I guess we can do this." Grabbing for her hand, the left one, Robin reached for her ring finger and then he pulled off her wedding band. It came off easily enough and he put it on his pocket. Then, he reached for the other pocket and got out an engagement ring. "I asked you about this already and you said yes, never got to give you one of these though. Not a real one anyway."

She gasped, watching as he slipped in her finger the new ring. "Robin. You do know we are married already, right?" Still, she couldn't stop looking at the ring he gave her. It was beautiful…

"No, we're not really married, not if you are not wearing my ring or heard my vows, and I plan for you two do both in a genuine wedding. If you'll have me, that is."

"You're crazy… but yeah, I'll marry you, again. Just make sure to get a good photographer this time."

He laughed, his eyes set on hers. "God, this would have sounded impossible a couple of months ago but I love you, Regina Mills."

Biting her lips so she wouldn't smile stupidly, she kissed him, clinging to his neck. "Yeah, I love you too...Robin Locksley."

That day, they spend it together, giving into one another… then, when the following day came by, she was high in cloud nine so she never went to the drug-store, assuming Robin's position that if it happened, then it happened…

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Regina didn't get what was all the fuss about. She really didn't get it, and as much as she has tried to turn it upside down inside her head and scrutinize everything of what was happening with extreme care, the reality of it all was that she couldn't quite comprehend any of it.

The hysteria, the ridiculous rituals they were all set on following and yes, the continuous and annoying back and forth between the four women. It was all adding up… little by little until it created a very bizarre dynamic that was leaving the brunette half astonished and half disturbed.

Needless to say, she was morbidly fascinated.

She wouldn't know how to explain what was it about it, but the fact that _they_ just wouldn't shut up or at least agree on what the hell they wanted to do out of her was riveting in some odd kind of way and all she could do was sit there, eyes wide open as she sent sharp glances at each and everyone of the invaders of her designated bedroom, her lips partially parted as if she was torn between saying something or just remaining forever silent.

"I'm telling you, they both need to have a hair combing ceremony." Mulan said for what felt like the tenth time in the last hour while Ruby shut her down with a wave of her hand and a roll of her eye.

"Baby, I'm sure that's a cool thing to do, but we don't know what the hell that is and you don't either, not really so just drop it okay?"

"So what if I'm not sure exactly how it's done? MM is googling stuff and you are not so pressed about it."

"Not pressed? Her idea is lame as shit too."

Mulan puffed out a breath, lifting her arms and rolling her eyes at her girlfriend. "Oh so your idea of going out bar hoping and getting drunk out of our minds is better? Just tell me how? Especially since there's only one bar close by and the guys are probably all there."

"Nobody is going out and let alone getting drunk, Ruby Lucas, is that clear?"

"But Granny, that's what a bachelorette-"

"Hush. No buts, you are all staying here tonight, laying low and helping Regina relax. Now go do something useful and help this young lady with her list."

Moving her brown warm gaze to the young woman Granny was referring to, Regina sent a direct glance towards Mary Margaret, her eyes narrowing a little as she saw how her stepdaughter was still reading from her phone as if she was trying to make sense out of what she was seeing on the device.

"Nah it's alright, I'm good. I think I have it all already. Let me just read this and we'll start in a couple of minutes."

"Yay, that looks super fun." Ruby hissed sarcastically through clenched teeth as she took the liberty of sitting beside Regina at the edge of the bed. She didn't look happy, a sentiment that the brown-eyed woman could share because out of all the traditions that has been tossed around, hers was the only appealing one.

She definitely needed a drink or two… maybe four, whatever it took to deal with the chaos these handful of women were creating out of something so silly.

"My idea was better." Ruby stated and scoffing, Regina agreed with a nod.

It really was. Sure, it had a few faults because she would rather do her drinking alone and not tagging with a cheap version of the Spice Girls, but it was by far the better option.

The worse? Granny's, and the really awful part about it was that the old lady's idea or tradition was the first one to be implemented and that has been done with an iron fist: Robin and her couldn't get to be near… they couldn't even see each other until the next day.

She made sure of that happening earlier on when she practically burst into the bedroom and forced Robin out, not even letting the man kiss her goodbye and definitely ignoring Regina's face of horror when she realized he was going to leave her alone with the four women instead.

She pleaded at him with her eyes and when that didn't work she sent him an icy-cold glare letting him know she was never going to forgive him if he walked out on her just like that, but before he could even react he was being lured away by Will and Little John.

She didn't make the rules, Granny has said when she asked why couldn't she spend the rest of the evening with Robin, and then everybody started arguing about what were really the rules.

Now yes… she was getting married the following day and the 'the groom can't see the bride' was apparently a big thing when it came to weddings, but hell… she was pretty much sure that only applied to the day of the actual event and not the night prior to it.

She has seen so in movies so she knew, besides, it wasn't like this was the first time she tied the knot… no, it was actually her third time which gave her an advantage over the rest of the woman there so hers should be the voice of reason.

Now sure, her previous weddings were both exceptions to the rule; one because it has been against her will and the next one as it was conducted as a business deal more than anything else but still… they both happened.

Also, it wasn't like this was a traditional wedding per se either, after all she and Robin were by law already married so sticking to those traditions was absolutely ridiculous.

"Sorry this sucks. Gosh I can't believe they are ruining what was supposed to be the best bachelorette party this house has ever seen. This was supposed to be an epic prelude to an even greater event… the wedding of the decade."

Arching an eyebrow, Regina fought hard against the urge to cringe, part of her wondering how was it that she allowed Ruby Lucas of all people to plan her wedding.

Yes, she didn't put too much thought about it when the younger woman offered and saw it as a way not to deal with the tedious little details of planning a wedding in less than two months herself… but as soon as she found out Robin's childhood friend reached out to Mary Margaret seeking help with the excuse that she needed a family member of hers on her team, Regina knew the whole thing was going to end up being her worse nightmare.

Mary Margaret as her closest family member! It was simply mind blowing… especially since it was kind of accurate.

So no… she didn't like it then and she didn't like it now; and this that was happening in that moment was proving her apprehension to the whole thing to be right; because as she sat there, less than twenty-four hours away from the ceremony, all she wanted was to get it over with so that she could leave with Robin already.

Sure, it could have been way worse than Mary Margaret as Ruby could have easily contacted her mother… but it was still all awful.

What could she say? When she agreed to marry Robin, she did it because she wanted to be with him in all sense of the word and not necessarily because she wanted a 'real' wedding. But here she was now, trapped in a damn awkward situation and having no idea how to digest it all.

"Okay so it says here and I quote, that a wedding bath ritual is a way to cleanse the bride's spirit and foster an aura of love, balance and harmony before the big day."

Rolling her eyes at her stepdaughter's words, Regina cleared her throat. "You do know Robin and I are already married, right?" She decided to speak because it was all starting to be a bit too much. "I'm not a blushing bride so this… is not really necessary."

"It is, in this house we do things the right way and since we were not able to do any of this for the first wedding, we'll make up for it now."

Biting the inside of her cheek, Regina said nothing more. By then she knew better than to argue with Granny, because if there was someone that could dance circles around her in the stubborn department, it was her.

"So, as for the flowers, we'll start with peonies. It says here that they are great for a happy marriage as they are thought to promote wealth and honor. Jasmine promotes grace, elegance and joy. Red Roses symbolize romantic love, myrtle symbolizes unity and togetherness. Stargazer Lily for purity. And finally, a sprig of Heather to make wishes come true."

"So now bathing in flowers grant wishes?" Regina asked with a roll of her eyes. "This is ridiculous."

"It's supposed to be symbolic, Regina. Anyway, I'll go and run the bath and prepare the flowers." With that said, Mary walked into the bathroom.

Sighing loudly, Ruby turned sideways so that she could take a good look at Regina. "Speaking about symbolic things, don't let Granny talk you into using that baby making quilt or whatever. That thing does apparently work and last thing you need is getting knocked up on your wedding night."

Regina groaned, her mouth opening to say that the quilt was definitely not going to be anywhere near her that night or any other for the next five years, time she believed was fair until she could start having baby fever… if ever; but before the words could even roll off her tongue, Granny chuckled.

"The quilt won't be necessary; this one is already with child."

"Oh… shit. Talk about eating the cake before the wedding." Mulan, who has been silently observing the rest of the women talk cringed.

Doing a double take and snarling her lips, Regina tilted her head in the older woman's direction, her brows furrowed. "Who's this one?" Because she was talking about Mary Margaret, right? After all the woman's baby bump was already starting to be obvious.

"Holy crap I didn't see that one coming but please, tell me this one is Robin's… please! I can't deal with him getting all excited about a baby and then realizing it isn't his again. I like you and I don't want to you know, start hating you."

Snorting at how ridiculous that came off, Regina eyed Ruby and then Granny, going from one's knowing smirk to the other one's pleading eyes. It took her several seconds to make the connection.

"Wait, you think I'm pregnant?"

"Trust me, if Granny says you are with child then you are with child. She has this uncanny gift where she smells things out of people." Mulan said and Ruby agreed.

Puffing out a breath, Regina was about to tell them one, that Granny smelling things out of people was not only ridiculous but also impossible and two, that she was definitely not pregnant.

Sure, she has been off her preferred method of birth control for a little over six weeks now, but the only time she has been extremely careless was the night Robin came home from Milan and no, according to her calendar that was an unlikely date to get impregnated. She checked so it just couldn't be...

Otherwise she would have taken the damn Plan B pill. But she didn't… she plain and simply didn't.

The rest of the times they have been intimate, she has been more careful, making Robin finish outside, evading getting too carried away on her dangerous fertile days unless he used a condom or just sticking to the always safe blowjob so no, her being pregnant was just… impossible.

"No, I think you got it all wrong. I _can't_ be pregnant." No… she couldn't… that would be like… like a real nightmare.

Introducing a baby in that new phase of her life where she was just learning how to kick off her old habits or being closed off and detached could be the catalyst that would finally push her into losing her mind. It would be the last straw to make her sink into a never-ending circle of despair because… well, because that couldn't just happen to her.

It was like this, if there was someone who should never reproduce in this world it was her, and yes, even though she told Robin in a moment when her defenses were down and she was riding low in the sweet after match of his lovemaking that having one child in the future was as far as she was willing to compromise, she wasn't sure yet if that was something she really wanted.

She said it to make him happy and to cut him off with the subject, but she has been clear with him over the fact that they needed to wait at least a few years before having real talks about it.

Hell, to prevent any mishap she was even considering a form of birth control that would assure her a minimum of three years of free pass so no, Granny just had to be wrong.

She just… she couldn't allow for her mother's wicked DNA or her way of being to pass onto a child as she was sure that was a form of child endangerment. Look how she ended up like, a hot mess, and she didn't want an innocent child to suffer the same fate.

"You've been having sex, have you not? Because that's all you need to get pregnant, you silly girl." Granny blurted out, pulling Regina off her thoughts with the bold comment.

"What?" Regina asked, a bit flabbergasted by the woman's easy-going tone. It was as if the whole thing was fucking amusing to her…

"Come on, Granny, don't make this awkward. Nobody here wants to talk about sex with you. It's weird."

"Weird? Girl I had sex so you could eventually come into this world, or do you think that mother of yours was delivered to me by a stork."

"Oh my God." Ruby slapped her forehead before turning to Regina once again. "I'm sorry, my grandma has this thing of her filter always being off and she says the most uncomfortable things."

Regina blinked, not knowing what to say as her mind was still swirling about the fact that they all thought she was pregnant now.

"Now on the bright side, Robin will be an excellent father. He's great with kids, he's head over heels about you, you seem pretty smitten yourself and you're about to get married for the second time so what could really go wrong?"

"What could go wrong? How about me?" Regina laughed, the sound edging in desperation. Of course Robin was going to be an excellent father when the time came, it was her the one she didn't trust with a creature. She would mess it up so bad. "I'm a mess… I just… I can't." She admitted even if she didn't know why.

She was not used to open up about such intimate thoughts and let alone to people other than Robin

"You'll do fine. The only one I wouldn't trust with a child here is Ruby so thank God she's into girls and won't get knocked up."

"She's not wrong." Ruby snorted, arching an eyebrow in the process. "Anyway, since my dear old lady made it all awkward to be here now I'm going to get you one of those pregnancy tests thingies just to head out. I may get a drink on my way there so it's definitely going to take a while."

Regina was about to tell her how that was not necessary, but the truth was that there was now a seed of doubt planted and growing in her mind and she needed to tear it out as soon as possible, and what better way than seeing a negative result in a pregnancy test?

So she agreed, and when Ruby grabbed her girlfriend's hands to pull her out, Regina didn't do anything but to sit there in a somehow catatonic state. That was how she looked from the outside, but inside? God she was anything but still.

She was actually a riot, especially when it came to the turmoil of emotions raging inside her head. Hope that it wasn't true… fear that it would be so…

And God, what would Robin think if it was true? He would probably be out of his mind, but if that ended up happening, he was going to finally see how disastrous she really was and he would take their baby and leave… and yeah, that would be for the best because nobody in their right mind would leave a baby on her care.

Dreading something like that to happen, Regina started a small chant inside her brain asking all the Gods to please, do not let her be pregnant.

"So the bath is ready… Okay where's everybody?" Mary Margaret asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

"I'm going to bed. I'm too old for this and tomorrow will be a long day. Get your rest, darling." Granny said before walking out.

"Okay… so, I guess… I should go too?" Mary Margaret asked and not really wanting to deal with her, Regina just nodded. "I mean, it's not like you need me to take a bath, right?"

"No." Definitely no.

"Of course not." Not looking bothered by the aloofness of her tone, the younger of the two moved forward and hugged Regina. "I'm so happy for you, I really am and I'm sure this is awkward for you since you were married to my father and all that but… I'm just so happy of seeing you like this. You never looked quite radiant as you do now and I'm just over the moon about you letting me be a part of this."

With that said, she pulled away and snorting in what was probably embarrassment, she shrugged.

Blinking a few times, Regina realize that she didn't have what it takes to tell her that she was there because of Ruby, not because she wanted to invite her.

"Take the bath, okay? It will help you relax because you do seem a little tense."

And just like that, Mary Margaret left and Regina was on her own in what promised to be the longest night of her life.

Drawing in a shaky breath, the brunette stripped off her clothes to get into the tub; she did it as a way to relax a little, but the truth was that being in a tub filled with flowers was like a horror movie gone bad and the mixture of scents was overwhelming and not in a good way. She hated it, so before the water could turn cold, she climbed out and without even drying off, she called Robin.

It took him a couple of rings to answer and he did amidst a lot of noise. Almost as if he was in a bar or a club, _'Hey babe_.'

"I need you to come over." She tried to use a neutral tone, but it came off a bit strained. She was just in that initial phase of becoming a wreck and she was trying to hold it.

"_Is everything alright?" _Now, as for his tone, it changed tune as soon as she spoke. He was a bit more serious now and knowing that he could read her like an open book, she tried once again to keep her tone neutral.

"No, it's not alright."

That was all it took for him to say he was going to be there in twenty minutes.

Now, as she waited, Regina put the phone down and decided to stand in front of the mirror so that she could look at her body through critical eye. Her stomach was as flat it has always been, maybe even more since she has been hitting the gym more regularly and her breast were normal. They didn't even feel odd or tender so she guessed those were a few points for the no pregnant team.

She wasn't even feeling physically ill, and even though her period has been a little odd, she attributed that to the fact that she has been on the shot for so long that her body was still adjusting. It was normal… if normal was just to spot for a day and that's it…

"Oh my God." She said dramatically as she threw herself over the bed, rolling under the covers so that she could hide in there and be miserable. She was so pregnant; she didn't need the test because she knew now… she knew it in her gut and just letting the notion to sink in was enough to make her feel like she was going to be sick

For what felt like an eternity, she remained under the covers, sniffing a little and every once in a while mumbling her hows and whys…why now that everything was going so good? Now that she was comfortably settling into this new life with Robin?

Oh she was going to kill him with her bare hands if he dared stepping into that room for impregnating her. She swore to it on her mother's name.

Now sure, when Robin did enter, she didn't kill him, she just tried to disentangle herself out of the blankets even if all she managed to do was liberating her head, her moistened eyes immediately meeting with his worried ones.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

By his mellow tone and the glint on his eyes, Regina could tell he has been drinking and if anything, that irked her even more. "I hate you… God, I could kill you right now."

Blinking a few times but apparently not even fazed by her words or her intents, Robin walked to her and sat over the bed, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek.

She would have slapped the hand away but she was too tangled up between sheets and comforter, so it wasn't like she could do anything other than accepting the touch.

"Alright let's pause with the killing so you can tell me what is it."

Swallowing on dry, Regina inhaled deeply. In that moment she could start telling him how he has left her alone earlier on and then gradually move to the impending fact that it was his fault she was probably pregnant. But instead she just closed her eyes and fought hard against that impending feeling of despair.

"Granny thinks I'm pregnant."

There were a couple of seconds of silence and she really, really wished she could just open her eyes to see his reaction; but she couldn't… not if she wanted to keep her eyes from leaking.

"She does?" He finally said, and unable to help it she chocked on a sob, prompting her to roll over so she could lay face down. "Hey."

"It's your fault." She hissed, mad at herself for being so emotional and at him because well, it was his fault.

Laughing and grabbing her, Robin made her sit down, his hands grabbing her face and tilting it towards his. "Look at me."

Sniffing, she did, her eyes opening to find his gaze fixed on hers. It entranced her, like always, the depths of those blues pulling her in.

"You're crying because of that?"

"I'm not crying."

His lips broke into an even wider smile as he ran his thumbs along her cheeks and once again, she swore she could kill him. "I thought we agreed that wasn't a bad thing, you having our baby."

"I was bluffing!" She burst out. "I mean you can't really take seriously the things I say during and right after sex, Robin, because of course it is a bad thing. You know where I come from and how much of a mess I really am so the last thing you should want is to procreate with me."

"Alright, let's start from the beginning here. Why don't we first find out if this is really true before we start freaking out. Tomorrow morning I'll take you to a lab or something."

"Tomorrow is the wedding."

"Then we'll do it later, now just try to relax a little and just… flow."

Wriggling her arms free, Regina lifted a finger in his face. "You want me to flow? You come here, fucking drunk and just tell me to flow?"

"So you want to freak out about it? because that won't change a thing, if Granny is right, and she always is, stressing out won't help in anything. If you are pregnant then you are, I don't see how is that so bad. Also, I'm not drunk, okay?"

Gasping, Regina shook her head. "It is bad… don't you see I can't have a child? I'll ruin him or her and it will hate me for being such a shitty mother because I will be awful. Then you'll hate me too and I… I can't…"

Sliding his hand to the back of her head, Robin pulled her closer, until her face ended up buried into the crook of his neck. "You're bloody silly. There's no way a child of mine will hate you, it will love you as much as I love you. And you'll do great, I know that."

"No you don't. For all we know I could end up being like my mother." And that right there was her biggest fear.

"I find that hard to believe. I know you, Regina, probably better than you know yourself and you are nothing like your mother."

Groaning, she pulled away from him. "Stop being so damn optimistic and be a bit more real, Robin. This is serious."

"And you stop being such a pessimist. Do you trust me?"

Rolling her eyes and keeping her eyes om the ceiling, she pouted her lips. "You know I do."

"Then trust me on this one, you'll be perfect, and any child you'll have will love you because you'll do nothing but love it and show it. There's not a trace of Cora in you, just as there is no trace on me of the man that procreated me or the woman who gave birth to me and left me to my luck without looking back."

Blinking slowly, Regina parted her lips to puff out a breath. True, his birth parents and how they gave him up was something they've never really talked about so she didn't want to mess up and say the wrong thing, but the truth was that one thing didn't compare to the other.

"In your case that's believable because your parents had no influence on you whatsoever, they gave you up, true, but you were lucky enough that Granny took you in and loved you as if you were her own. I didn't have that… I never felt a mother's love growing up and that's something you don't outgrow."

"No you don't, I know that. I mean Granny was great and yes, she showed me what was to be loved and be taken care off, but any child who grows up after being abandoned by his parents will always have that deep sense of not belonging, that feeling of not being enough so yeah… I really know where you come from."

"Robin…" She began to say because yes, ever since she started to open up about her parents she has been going on and on with her complains without really stopping for a second to consider his own childhood…

"But you know what? Growing up like that doesn't mean I'll be a shitty parent. On the contrary, because I'll do anything in my power so that my child will never feel unloved and I know you'll do the same."

Pursing her lips and feeling a new wave of years menacing to roll off her eyes, she grabbed his hands and brought them to her lips.

He was right in something, because she would never make anyone, let alone a child of hers to feel the way her mother made her feel all through her life.

"You're going to be changing all the diapers."

Scoffing, Robin leaned forward and kissed her. It was a tender thing that didn't progress into something deeper or needy, and when Ruby finally made it back with the pregnancy test, that's how she found them. Sharing a few kisses as they held onto one another.

"Granny is so going to kill you both if she finds out you're here."

"She won't find out because you won't tell her, right?" Robin said as he took the box Ruby got for Regina.

"Of course not. Can I be the godmother?"

"Bye, Ruby."

"Ugh, just text the results, please. I'm dying to be an aunty." Sending Regina a wink and then sticking her tongue out at Robin, she marched out.

"Ready?"

"Not really but what the hell." She said, getting off the bed and grabbing the test. She also took the opportunity to put on some underwear and a silk camisole that didn't do much to cover her up.

Once she did what needed to be done, she went back to bed and snuggled underneath the blankets. She didn't say anything and just waited face down, the feeling of Robin rubbing her back almost soothing.

"You want to go and check?"

Shaking her head no, she breathed in. "You go."

He did, and when he got out of bed she held her breath and shut her eyes tight, the beating of her heart deafening.

He seemed to be gone for an eternity, and when he came back, he just got in bed with her, turning her around so that he could kiss her.

This time he did take his time to kiss her right, sliding into her mouth, caressing her tongue into action ever so slowly until she was lured into kissing him back.

"You know I love you, right? And that nothing will change that?"

She nodded, her nose bumping against his and her lips grazing over his. She didn't need him to tell her what was the result because she already knew. "Love you too."

Yes, she said that easy enough because apparently, the more she said it, the easiest was for her to say it out loud.

At her reply, Robin kissed the corner of her mouth, his lips dragging a little towards her jaw.

"It was a positive, wasn't it?"

"Well, I'll just say two things; the first one is that there will be no alcohol for you tomorrow or for the next few months and two, Granny's always right."

"Oh my God, what did you do to me?"

Apparently happy, Robin chuckled and hugged her, raining kisses all over her face as the confirmation was thrown out.

"I did nothing you didn't want me to do so this one is not all on me. Besides, like I said before, this is a good thing… actually it's great."

Not knowing what to think anymore, Regina just closed her eyes and rested on his chest when he laid down. Maybe he was right, but also, he could be very wrong too.

All she knew was that this was something she couldn't tell her mother. Not yet, if ever.

"Why couldn't we find out after the wedding? That way I would have at least enjoy the honey moon with a clear mind."

"You'll enjoy it, the wedding too."

Regina doubted it so she scoffed, snuggling against him and breathing into his familiar scent.

She dozed off like that, one moment she was internally freaking out and the next she was feeling someone lightly shaking her up.

"Regina, darling it's time to wake up."

Grumbling, she cuddled against Robin even more, but the voice was insistent.

"Wake up."

Opening one eye, she saw Granny and she groaned, wondering why she was waking her so early. Her mind was fuzzy, but when the old lady made her get up and stand beside the bed, she remembered…

It was wedding day… and she was pregnant.

Running a hand through her hair and still feeling lightly disoriented, the brunette looked around, doing it just in time to watch Granny grab a pillow, lift it up and letting it fall hard into the peaceful face of a sleeping Robin.

"You sleazy little bugger." The woman said when Robin grunted, sitting up.

"What the fuck?" Robin complained, almost falling off the bed.

"Oh so now you cuss at me too? Get the hell out of here before I kick that ass of yours black and blue."

Stumbling on his feet, Robin turned to speak, but Granny didn't let him, she just hit him again with the pillow.

"Get out and don't you dare looking at her." Chased off, Robin left, leaving Regina watching entranced as Granny's mood went sour.

"They want to think I can't beat their butts because they are grown men now, well… they are wrong. Anything you want to say about that?"

Still sleepy, Regina shook her head no.

"Good because there's much to do today and we need to start now, so go and make yourself decent, as today you're getting married….

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

Her heart was beating so hard inside her chest that for a wild moment she was afraid her ribcage was going to break with the force of it.

Yes, that right there was a ridiculous thought and sure, she knew it. But what could she say? Each thud was making her chest tighten… sending sharp bolts of pain strong enough to make her breath catch in her throat and well, her vivid imagination just took over the rest.

It was all just out of control… her nerves getting the best of her in ways she couldn't even understand and an unusual chill gnawing down at her bones. It was an unsettling feeling she couldn't quite get, no… she just knew that the defeating sound of her heart was too loud, breaking the sepulchral silence that was suddenly reigning over the room so that the erratic beating was the only thing that existed.

And no, no matter how many deep breaths Regina would inhale through her nose and then release out of her mouth, nothing seemed to calm her.

That was how bad she was having it, and as if that wasn't enough her hands were trembling, her legs were weak under her weight and her stomach was in turmoil. She was just a damn fucking mess.

"You need to get a grip on yourself, that's what you need to do." She said out loud in a less than calmed tone of voice as she paced around the bedroom.

She has been at it for a while now… at least since she made the mistake of taking a look out of her window to see how many people were out there.

There were a lot… and what was worse, she was sure she even saw Gold roaming around the gardens and if anything, that triggered her apprehension even more. Because really, who the hell had the ridiculous stupid idea of inviting Gold to her wedding?

Chuckling in a less than amused kind of way, Regina rubbed her icy-cold hands together as a way to generate some heat, her mind wondering why she was feeling so antsy when this wasn't even the first time she married…

Sure, she didn't act any better in the first one. Actually, in preparation for her first nuptials she spent the entire night crying her eyes out in such a way that the woman who did her makeup the following day had to do wonders to hide her puffy eyes; she also occupied herself before the ceremony by being a nerve-wreck, throwing up all the contents of her stomach until her mother forced her out towards the church so she could finally marry Leopold.

But she has been a kid back then, just a few weeks after her eighteen birthday and well, she was being torn out of the only home she ever knew and forced to marry a man that doubled her age so yes, she has been scared out of her mind.

As for the second, that has been all for show so that didn't even ruffle her feathers… but this one?

Oh it was making her feel things as she has never felt them before

Yes, she was an adult now, definitely more mature than what she has been for her first marriage and she was about to marry a man she loved and with whom she was going to have a baby…

Yes… a baby. Cutting the thought right there as she once again tried to let _that_ sink in, Regina halted on her tracks as she sucked in a shaky breath. "No, I can't do this. Not like this."

With that in mind, she turned on her heels and made it towards the door. She needed to get out of there or she was going to suffocate; she could feel it starting… the icy-cold fingers of anxiety tightening around her throat so viciously that she couldn't breathe.

The way she saw it, in her current situation there was only a thing to do, leave that room… and so she did.

She knew the way; she also knew she shouldn't do it, not with the wedding about to start. Maybe it was a mistake from her part or just her acting on her wild impulses once again; but she didn't care, she just needed to get out of there…

Finding the door she was looking for, Regina pushed the wooden barrier open and just crossed through it. Not caring about anything but finding the only thing she needed to help her ease her nerves.

It was either that or just… fleeing the scene altogether, call an Uber or whatever and head straight towards the airport.

"Regina." Robin hissed in surprise as she closed the door of the room Granny assigned for him the night before, her back pressing against the frame of it as her heart kept hammering furiously inside her chest. On the bright side, her breathing was at least coming easier now that she was able to see him.

Now… blinking her eyes a couple of times, Regina watched how Robin has been standing in front of a large mirror, finishing up with his clothes when she burst in so taking in a deep breath, she eyed him over… taking notice that he looked… ridiculously handsome in his suit.

For a moment all she could do was stare at him in awe, there were just no words…

Apparently victim of the same spell as her, Robin did the same, his eyes shinning and his lips curving into that dimple smile she has come to love so much.

It all made her feel better already, just seeing him there.

But before either one of them could even react, Little John basically jumped in front of him and covered his eyes.

"Regina… have you lost your mind?" He groaned out loud, breaking the spell immediately. "You know he's not supposed to see you before the wedding."

"I need to talk to him." Rolling her eyes because she couldn't believe the big man was also sold into those silly traditions, Regina said at last, watching as Robin tried to push Little John's hands out of the way.

They struggled for a little while, but at the end Robin was quicker and was able to move out of the man's way.

"Bugger off, John." The groom claimed when his childhood friend put his hands away but got right between the two of them to block the view. "Are you serious now, mate?"

"You know what Granny said."

"I'll take my chances with Granny when the time comes, yeah?"

Puffing out a breath, Little John slapped a hand to his forehead and walked to the door. Regina moved out of the way to let him go, and when he said things were going to turn into a funeral when Granny realized what was going on, she ignored him.

When the door closed, she just took in a deep breath before letting it escape out of her mouth.

"Regina… you look… just… wow. I don't even…"

Blinking slowly, the brown-eyed woman watched as his eyes moved along her frame and yeah, by the sparkle in his eye as he looked at her, she was going to guess he liked what he was seeing; but since it wasn't the first time he ever saw her in a wedding dress, she just ignored the flush that apparently wanted to invade from her chest to her face and instead went right to the root of all her problems.

"Why are so many people out there? Robin… you knew I didn't want to make a big deal out of this. For fuck's sake even Gold is there!"

Instead of responding, he walked to her, his hands settling on her sides and then lower to her hips. He looked entranced, almost out of words again… but then he snorted and she knew he was going to call her out for God only knew what. "You look stunning in every possible way… actually too beautiful to be using that foul language of yours."

Gasping in exasperation, Regina widened her eyes. "Did you just listen to what I said? Gold is out there and who knows who else." She stopped right there and then shaking her head, she scrunched her nose. "Please tell me you didn't invite my parents."

"Of course not, but I didn't handle the invitations so who knows what Ruby did."

Taking in a deep breath, Regina relaxed a little. No, if her mother would have been invited, she would have called as soon as the news broke to berate her and since she hasn't received a single call from Cora Mills, she was going to assume she wasn't even aware of her nuptials.

"Regina you really, really look… gorgeous."

Humming and biting down the smile that suddenly wanted to break out of her lips, the brunette rolled her eyes. Yes, she spent a small fortune and a lot of effort to look like she was in that moment because she was going to be damned if she allowed a wedding in the woods to take away from the moment. From her dress, an exquisite and somehow bohemian gown with delicately tattooed lace down her back to her shoes, hair and makeup, she made sure to come off as flawless… and judging by his reaction, it paid off.

"You don't look bad yourself… so handsome." She touched his bow tie before letting her hands slide down his chest and to his stomach, her fingers tracing along the way so that she could feel the hardness of his muscles.

He felt good… he smelled even better and he looked damn hot. That right there made her realize what was what she needed to feel better. "Take off your pants."

Scoffing, Robin narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Regina bit her lips. "We have a few minutes before all this madness begins so let's have a quickie."

A hearty laugh burst out of him and Regina actually frowned, her hand stopping just at the edge of his pants. "Come on, babe, you can't be serious."

"I am serious. Robin… this whole thing is freaking me out and I can't ease off my nerves with a little bit of wine because _you_ fucking impregnated me and I can't drink now so the least you can do is this."

He laughed again… the fucking asshole. He wasn't even taking her seriously.

"You know what, fine… since I'm apparently a joke to you guess, what? I'm not going to marry you so good luck going out there explaining this around."

Before she could turn around and leave, Robin tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer until she was flushed against him.

"Come on, don't get silly with me."

"I'm not getting silly, Robin. I come here, asking you a simple thing and you are not taking me seriously."

Licking his lips and lowering his eyes to her, Robin smirked. "You really think sex will make you feel less stressed out?" He asked, lifting a hand to her face and allowing the back of his fingers to run down her cheek.

"Yes." Obviously, she wouldn't be there asking otherwise.

Leaning forward, he kissed her lips lightly… so lightly she barely even felt it. "Well… I am sorry to disappoint you, but we can have all the sex you want to, but not before the wedding. We don't really have much time left and I bet on anything that little John is lurking outside that door."

"So? That's why I asked for a quickie, not a marathon. I just need you to fuck me here… so hard I can't think of anything but how good you feel."

Humming, Robin fixed his eyes on her, his hands shifting a little so that he could slide them to her ass. He was now looking at her with his bedroom eyes so she knew a little more coaxing will make him say yes…

He was considering it now, she knew it, knew he just needed a little persuasion. With that in mind, she lowered her own hand and pressed it right between his legs, finding what she was looking for and giving him a few lazy strokes. "Don't tell me you don't want me."

Letting out a dry chuckle, Robin squeezed her ass under the palms of his hands. "Of course I want you… but this-"

A knock on the door interrupted whatever he was going to say and it made Regina startle, releasing him immediately as she bit on her lips.

"Hey guys, I don't want to be a bloody asshole but you need to hurry. I don't want Granny to murder me along you two."

Arching an eyebrow and twisting his lips, Robin lifted his shoulders before letting them settle back. "See, I hate to say I told you so but well, I told you so."

Snarling her lips, Regina rolled her eyes. "I hate everyone in this house and yes, that includes you." She meant to turn again and leave, but once again he stopped her from moving.

He was looking at her almost tenderly and she almost, almost felt bad for saying she hated him. But he knew her, he knew she talked out of her ass most of the time so he knew she didn't mean it.

That was the thing about this man… he got her down to a tee, he understood her like nobody else ever could and that should be her motivation to do this without any kind of hesitation…

"Regina… when you go out there and walk down that isle, I want you to look at it as if it's just you and me, alright? Well, and baby boy down here." He added, his hands sliding to her stomach.

Despite her need to tell him that it wasn't going to be just them but a whole bunch of people, Regina smiled. "Boy? What makes you think it will be a boy?"

"I just know it. A boy or twins."

"Gosh, don't say that. I'm still struggling to assimilate one so imagine me having two." The thought made her shiver.

"Robin…" Little John called again and Regina rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I'll go… the sooner we get this over with the better." Before she could leave, Robin peeked her lips again. Then, he was walking her to the door. "You can't even kiss me right… God it's ridiculous." She hissed, her voice loud enough for him to hear.

"I love you." He snorted, licking his lips as he eyed her over.

"Liar. You refused me, won't even kiss me right so don't feed me that bullshit."

"Jesus woman, you sure have a thing for being dramatic." He kissed her again, same tender peek as before. "Love you, still."

"Yeah, love you too… even though I shouldn't." Humming and lifting her chin up, Regina walked out of his room and headed straight towards hers. Once there, she found Mary Margaret waiting for her and rolling her eyes at how this was getting worse with each passing second, she shook her head.

Fortunately, the younger woman didn't bother her much and just helped her with a few last touches on her makeup and jewelry and yes, when the time came, she along with Granny also helped her make her way outside, straight into the setting Ruby elaborated for the wedding.

Now, despite her initial thoughts that having a wedding in the woods was going to be such a boring plain affair, Regina had to admit that Ruby made a pretty good damn job with the decoration.

Sure, with the ceremony being outside in the back garden there was not much to do as the towering trees created a magical atmosphere on its own, but the few details she added gave the whole thing that final _je ne sais quoi_ it needed to take her breath away.

The bistro lights, the path of flowers scattered along the way… guiding her to the arbor down the isle. Everything was simply perfect, especially when her eyes settled on the man waiting for her at the other side.

It was in that moment that she knew that he was right, that it was just the two of them and the rest was just background noise. With that in mind she took the steps needed to make her way to him, never dropping her eyes away from his and yes, as much as she hated to admit it, probably mimicking the broad smile on his lips.

"You look beautiful." He mumbled under his breath as the wedding officiant, who for some reason happened to be Will Scarlett started with the ceremony.

"You told me already." She mumbled back while biting the inside of her cheek. Robin just scoffed, blinking slowly but refusing to move the blue of his eyes anywhere that wasn't on her.

It was an intense thing but at the same time it was soothing, so with his eyes set on her she started to relax, listening to Will's words but her entire focus on Robin.

It was a strange feeling but a pleasant one, a strong sense that made her skin feel alive with its warmth… the notion that she was finally where she needed to be and with whom she was meant to be finally settling in. Yes, it has always been him… even before she realized what she felt, even before she even met him, he was the one life was preparing her for.

The realization of that made her feel overwhelmed for a second but it wasn't scary, not at all... in fact, knowing it filled her with a sense peace that was hard to overcome…

At least until it was time to say their vows because damn it, when the moment came she started to suddenly feel a cold chill take possession of her whole being because really, if she still struggled to let him fully in when it came to the depths of her feelings, how could she voice them out in front of so many people?

It was ridiculous… this personalized vows thingy… that was something she has been spared of doing before thus it never occurred to her that they were going to be a thing in this wedding; so when Ruby told her she had to do them like that since Robin definitely would, she has been horrified.

She still was, actually, and once again she wondered how was it that she has been convinced to go along with it since it was something that took her out of her comfort zone.

The walking down the isle and pose for all the curious eyes? Yes… she could do that. Smile until her cheeks hurt? Same… but open up and talk about her feelings? Not so much.

She hadn't even known what she was expected to say so she had to do what every other person of her generation would have done, she googled it until she had an idea.

That was how she spent most of her early afternoon, beating the words out of her mind as her hair was being done… thinking of ways to tell him in front of everybody things she barely dared saying to his face…

And now it was time.

Drawing in a deep breath, Regina tried to will her trembling hands into calming down and just took the paper out, the words blurring and blending together in front of her eyes.

Oh but Regina Mills was not going to freeze before so many people just by saying a few rehearsed words so she sucked it up and began to read.

She didn't write that much anyway so how difficult could it be, right?

"Standing here, as I promise myself to you… has prompted me to look back and contemplate the road that lead us to be here ." She began to say and yes, her voice betrayed her and it kind of trembled all a little. "It hasn't been easy… mostly because of me-" She added with a forced nervous chuckle that Robin returned with a little more enthusiasm. "But I can assure you that it has been worthy."

She let it rest there for a second, trying to calm herself a little because well… she was getting a little emotional and she didn't want to ruin her makeup.

"I know, I wasn't nor am I the most ideal of wives, but I promise you here, that I will do my best so that I can be always worthy of you. Robin… you… put me together when I was scattered into a thousand pieces, and with your infinite patience you showed me that love can exists in the most imperfect… lost and broken of hearts and I will be forever grateful for how you gave me hope and for making me dream again."

And yes, there was her makeup, ruined by a few stubborn tears that insistently leaked from her eyes. What the hell was wrong with her? She wiped them away, looking up to see that Robin wasn't completely unaffected by her words either and if anything, that right there made a few more tears to come out.

She didn't particularly like being the weeping kind of bride but what else could she do? At the end of the day she could just blame it on her pregnant hormones.

"Now I cannot promise you that I'll be always easy to handle because we all know I got the better part of this deal, nor can I promise that I'll be the perfect wife, but I do promise you to try, and I can promise that I will chose to love you every day of my life."

Finishing with that, she snorted at how silly she was being and blinking his moistened eyes, Robin snorted as well.

"Wow, how am I supposed to follow after that?" Robin chuckled, taking in a deep breath of his own. "Alright… I'll try."

Taking his own piece of paper out of his pocket and sniffing, he smiled at her.

"Regina, when I first met you, I had no idea how much my life was about to be changed because of you, and no, I'm not talking about the overload of office work you put on me or the quite bizarre requests from your part that were not exactly on my job description… like going to your rescue at the wee hours of the morning to fix a flat tire…"

"Oh my God." She mumbled to herself because she knew very well what kind of bizarre request he was actually referring to and no, it wasn't about the flat tire.

It was about their first marriage, the fake one… the one she basically forced on him as a business deal.

"But you did, you changed my life for the better by giving me the greatest gifts of them all, the chance to know you and love you, your love… and a future together. Now you're right it wasn't always easy… but if I have to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way because every choice, every step along the way is what made us stand here in this moment, letting me make this commitment to you."

Nodding and using the back of her hand to wipe the corner of her eyes, Regina sucked in a breath as she watched him put the paper with the vows away.

"I know you think and always point out how you are not perfect or worthy but Regina, I need you to understand that I didn't fall in love with you… I _walked_ into love with you, with my eyes wide open and choosing to take every step of the way, accepting you as you are, and loving you for it. That was actually the easy part, loving you so you better get into that thick head of yours that no matter what, I would always choose you, in a thousand lifetimes and in any kind of reality, I would find you and I will always choose you. I love you and trust me, this is where our forever begins."

Ending on that note, Robin used the edge of his teeth to bite down the corner of his lips as he flashed a smile her away. She smiled back, like she has been doing before, focusing all her attention just on him.

"I love you." He mumbled, the words barely spoken. They weren't supposed to be heard though, just read on his lips and swallowing down, she mumbled then back.

Will took the moment to let them know it was time for the ring exchange and with someone bringing them forward, they did that; starting with Robin reciting the words told to him as he slid the ring on her finger and continuing with Regina doing the same.

When that was done, he squeezed her hand and she actually had to swallow hard down to get a little bit of composure.

She really didn't get she was acting like that.

"And now, by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Robin, you may now kiss your lovely wife."

Apparently not wanting to wait, Robin moved forward and cradling the back of her head with one of his hands, he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her.

Closing her eyes, Regina placed a hand to his cheek, loving the sweet pressure of his lips upon hers and then smiling when he pulled away but bumped his nose against hers.

"See, that wasn't so bad, you silly."

"What? Of course it was bad, I'm a mess." She chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck so that she could hug him close. "You owe me big time for this."

Circling her waist with both arms, Robin tightened the embrace. "Well… you have time to collect now."

"Ladies and gentleman, I present you, Mr. and Mrs. Locksley."

Feeling more like herself now that the most nerve-wrecking part of the night was done, Regina let go of Robin and allowed her fingers to intertwine with his, the feeling of his much larger hand comforting her.

"Was that last part really necessary, Mrs. Locksley?" She asked in a whisper as he lead her on, walking among a chorus of cheers to where Ruby was suddenly waving them to go. The young woman apparently wanted the photographer to take some photos of them and yeah, she guessed that was what they were going to do now.

"Yes, very necessary, I mean you are the one and only Mrs. Locksley now, love. This time for real and the world needs to know it."

"I say down with this patriarchy nonsense." Her eyes rolled in an automatic response but yes, she guessed he was right. Sure… she was too stubborn to drop the Mills out of her name but in every sense of the word, she was Mrs. Locksley now and soon she was going to have a little Locksley in her life as well.

Now, the photos were a tedious affair for Regina because this photographer was even more annoying than the one they used in Italy. He wanted to capture the newlyweds in different poses and with various backgrounds, the two of them with Granny, another one with Mary Margaret and David and numerous more with the rest of the closest guests.

By the time they were done, she was already wishing to grab Robin and just leave for their honeymoon already.

But they couldn't… there was still the whole reception affair to attend to and unfortunately, that was going to be longer than the actual wedding. There were guesses to greet and thank, there were dances to dance and a whole lot of smiles to fake…

That was how she imagined it all being and no, she wasn't exactly looking forward to any of it.

The only good thing was that after being dragged all over the place so that she could say hi to people she didn't know or even cared about, she was able to finally sit, her eyes drinking on the scenery taking place in front of her.

By then it was getting dark already so the bistro lights and the lamps hanging from the trees were softly illuminating the surroundings in such a way that it almost felt whimsical. Then it was the music filling the air beautifully, people laughing and talking as they sat on the long family-style tables as hanging greenery and florals provided a luxuriant canopy overhead and yes, Regina could say that everything was perfect.

"What a lovely wedding this is. I have to admit I wasn't expecting it to be so…. "

"Gold." Regina interrupted the man with a roll of her eyes while keeping her face pointing forward. She didn't need to look at him to recognize who he was because just by his voice she knew. "What do you want?"

The man scoffed. "Why, I just came to congratulate you on this new promising marriage… and to tell you that you don't really have to thank me."

"Thank you?" She asked, giving in and looking at him. "What do I have to thank you for, according to you?"

"This. You see, I believe deep in my heart that if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have ended up marrying this extraordinary husband of yours. Where is he by the way? I want to tell him how much this union fills my entire soul."

Snarling her lips even though her eyes betrayed her and looked to where Robin was talking animatedly to some of his friends, Regina shrugged. "I believe it was your bank account the one you craved to fill, not your soul."

"And lucky me I got to fill both. This Milan thing is going brilliantly and having Robin managing it even better. Besides, the way I see it I'm not the only one who got multiple benefits out of this; you, dear got a husband, the company, your citizenship and well, I saw you chumming with Mary Margaret so yeah, I will assume you gained the girl's support as well. You're the real winner here, Regina… so enjoy it, really."

Narrowing her eyes as she heard him say the words, Regina frowned, trying to detect any trace of sarcasm in his words. There were none; oddly enough he looked genuine in his well wishes.

"Thank you…"

He squeezed her shoulder, his lips curving before he moved along and disappeared through the crowd.

"Well, here it is, sparkling water to the most beautiful new bride ever."

Looking up, she saw Robin was back in their table with two glasses, one with her water and the other one with whiskey. He sat by her side, kissing her cheek as she hummed.

"I'm technically not a new bride, you knew that, right?"

"Of course you are." He took a sip of his drink and Regina snarled her lips, pressing her back to the chair.

"I can't believe I have to go through this sober." On the same note, she also couldn't believe she let herself get pregnant. That was something she was still trying to grasp and she was sure the whole thing wasn't going to fully register in until she had it confirmed by a doctor.

That was why she needed to make an appointment as soon as possible, so that she could fully dive into it and yes, obviously freak out a bit more.

Taken out of her thoughts by the feeling of Robin grabbing her chin to make her look at him, Regina's soft brown eyes fixed into the depths of her husband's blue orbs. "Let's do this, to accompany you in this so called _misery_ of yours, I won't be drinking either. Would that make it better?"

She shrugged. "A little. I mean why do I have to suffer all the consequences on my own when it was _you_ the one who did this to me?"

He chuckled. "Oh so I did this to you, now? Are you sure you were not asking me for it, telling me not to pull away?"

Sucking in a breath almost indignantly, Regina lifted a hand to his face. "No, uh-uh? I don't remember it been quite like that."

"No?" He whispered huskily, leaning closer to her, so close she couldn't even look at him directly in the eye. "Then how do you remember it?" He asked, but instead of waiting for a reply she didn't even plan on giving, what he did was firmly press his mouth to hers.

He just lingered for a few seconds, then he went a bit further by pinching the bottom half of her lips between his teeth.

Regina gave into the feeling without giving it a second thought, her lips parting as an open invitation that he definitely took, his tongue darting forward so that it could meet with hers inside her mouth. It was a quick thing though, a swirl over her and then he was backing away.

"I think that settled it then?"

Regina groaned, grabbing his face and pulling him back towards her mouth so that she could kiss him right. He smiled against her lips first, but when she made it go deeper he just hummed, receiving her tongue and stroking it with his.

"Want to know what I just realized?" He whispered against her mouth, the palm of his hand settling on her knee and then going a bit further up. He only stopped to wrap his hand over her thigh, his thumb moving dangerously close to that sweet spot between her legs that was suddenly eager to be touched. "The wedding just ended so what if we sneak for a little while for that quickie?"

"Mmm-okay." Already sold on the idea, Regina grabbed his hand and got to her feet.

Robin was about to stand up as well, but they were both rudely interrupted by Ruby calling for everyone's attention on the microphone and Regina just knew in that moment that there was not going to be a quickie… at least not yet so with a low groan she sat down again.

"Seriously?"

"Hey guys, can you all listen to me for a few minutes. I want to say something before I'm to drunk to think straight so just bear with me, okay? I'm going to start by thank you all for being here with us to celebrate Robin and Regina's wedding and yes, I'm going to follow my little speech by letting you know a little something. This is not their first time those two lovebirds over there marry each other."

"I think it's too late, she is drunk already." Robin snorted in Regina's ear as she watched the other woman in apprehension.

"You see, a few months back, I got a call from my grandma telling me what I thought to be the worse news ever… she told me that Robin, a man who I consider my brother just got married. He eloped, she said… went off to Italy and married this… woman who we didn't even know and I was like what? Who is that bitch who enticed our Robin like that? Sorry, Regina, but that's the first thing I thought."

Ruby shrugged, sending her way what she assumed was an apologetic smile. As a response, Regina motioned the woman it was okay because really, what else could she do when everyone was now looking at her?

"I was mad, I think everyone here knows I'm very protective of my family and I was not taking that shit-"

"Ruby Lucas, watch your language."

"Sorry, Granny. Anyway. So I wasn't happy and I sure as hell called Robin and I chewed his ear off; but you all know Robin and I don't know how he did it but I hung up feeling less mad… just a little because I just needed to meet this woman and see for myself what was all this nonsense about. Long story short… I just had to see them together once, just once, to see what was going on. One glance at how they looked at each other to realize why they eloped. You see, I'm a firm believer that we all have this one person who we are destined to be with, a soulmate… and the way I see it, that's what these two are. Regina, I unjustly hated you before I even met you, but I can say now that I couldn't be more happy to welcome you into our family. You make that big dork happy and if he's happy then I'm happy. You gained a sister in me and an aunt-godmother for your future children whether you want it or not so good luck with there sis. With that said, here is for a life full of love for you two."

Sending a wink her way, Ruby lifted her glass and so did everybody else; that right there left Regina no other choice than to force a smile and whisper a thank you, as she didn't know what else to do or say after such nice words; then she lifted her own glass of sparkling water the woman's direction.

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

"Now why don't we put some music so that the newlyweds can have a dance and so I can keep on eating and drinking, yes?"

"Gosh… until when do we have to stay here?" Regina hissed through clenched teeth as people started cheering and urging them on.

Patting her knee, Robin kissed her cheek. "Come on, I asked for this one myself so bear with me a little here, alright?"

Humming, Regina narrowed her eyes, standing up when Robin did and following him around until they were in the empty space between their table and the rest of their guests'.

"You did?" She asked as he wrapped an arm around her and letting it rest on her lower back; but when the music began to play she recognized the tune immediately and she knew that he was right, that he did ask for this one. "Really?"

Robin smirked, his eyes playfully searching for hers. "If we danced this one the first time we married, then we really need to dance it now too."

Lowering her face and scoffing, Regina pushed the inside of her cheek with her tongue, her mind going back in memory lane to remember that night long ago.

Their first wedding, their interactions before that… it all felt like a lifetime ago and it definitely felt like she was an entire different person now. "You were really nosey back then." She said playfully, resting a hand to his shoulder so they could begin their dance.

'_Can't take my eyes off of you  
You'd be like Heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off you.'_

"And you were really difficult to get through." He added as they swayed with the music. "Stubborn, thick-headed but oh so ridiculously stunning. I remember being taken by you even then."

"Really? I actually though you hated me. You were after all a bit of an asshole… one who wouldn't shut up and who always had a snarky comment on the tip of his tongue to throw at me. It was annoying."

Laughing, Robin pulled her closer to briefly kiss her. "I was the asshole? Come on, I just fired back. You were the one completely set up on not liking me and well, since I knew my place and was aware I had no chance like at all I just… let's say I liked to test you a little the only way I could."

Rolling her eyes because, yes, she has always suspected he liked to rile her up on purpose, her nose scrunched. But yeah, they didn't exactly start the right way, but it was all different now. They just got married for real and they were soon to a child together.

"It was a rough start, but look at us now."

"Yes, look at us now."

Smiling, Regina lifted her chin up so that he could capture her mouth with his. That way they danced, stealing soft kisses out of each other every now and then, and when the song finally ended and another started, more people started to join them.

The first ones to butt in were of course Mary Margaret and David, her stepdaughter along with her fiancé simply went to them and offered to switch partners so that she could talk of God only knew what with Robin.

Robin accepted graciously and Regina did her best not to cringe, especially after that song was done and Will came in, saying he was going to steal her for a dance.

Regina found herself obliged into letting herself go with the flow and yes, even make light conversation as she changed dance partners from time to time. That happened until her feet, clad in the ridiculous high heels she choose for the night started to bother her and she casually told Little John. The man simply walked her back to her table, sitting with her and well, she wasn't sure how long they sat there talking, but she didn't actually have a horrible time.

No… even when the rest of Robin's friends pulled closer to join them, even after Peter went timidly to her asking her to dance and she just couldn't say no and even when she was forced to engage into some traditional activities like throwing the bouquet or worse, have Robin remove a garter Ruby was happy to provide with his teeth as everyone looked and cheered him on… even through all that, she actually got to enjoy herself.

But when Robin finally said it was time for them to go, she sighed in relief.

The only problem was that she was so tired that she basically dozed off against Robin as they left in the limo that was meant to take them to a hotel outside the city, place where they were going to spend the night until the flight destined to take them to their honeymoon would take off in the morning.

"Regina…"

Robin called for her and being right between falling into a deep slumber or just bolting awake, she hummed, snuggling closer to him.

She heard him snort, and immediately after that his hand settled on her knee. She happened to be comfortably over him, her legs across of his lap so he had full access to roam, first up her thigh, then down to her calf and lower and lower to her ankle. Once there he went back up, only that he did it underneath her dress.

Blinking her eyes open, Regina sighed, watching the progress of his hand going back up.

It was hypnotic, because even when his hand was hidden under the fabric of the dress, his fingers felt like fire… burning her skin with their maddening touch as they traveled along her naked skin.

It was amazing, just a touch of his expert fingers running against the inside of her thigh and all rational thought that could ever form in her mind as she slowly became more alert evaporated before they could even form.

It made her hum.

"Did I wake you?" His voice, a raspy whisper that carried the sightless hint of amusement brushed into her hair.

"I wasn't sleeping." She breathed out, lifting her chin up to look at his face. That was all she meant to do, but when he lowered his mouth to hers, she just let him.

Now, kissing was definitely not why she looked at him, but the feeling of his lips on hers made her sigh into the liplock and when his tongue found a way into her mouth, she tilted her face to the right to make herself more accessible.

His tongue stroked hers slowly, coaxing her into action and when she reacted, his fingers buried in her hair and all Regina could do was breathe into the moment while sliding the palm of her hand along his stomach and up to his chest.

"We arrived to the hotel, love, should we go out or you still want that quickie?"

Chuckling, Regina eyed him slyly. "I want more than a quickie… and you owe me so let's get out of here."

As it was meant to happen, as soon as they were alone in their room, they started kissing eagerly, hands roaming each other and pulling at their clothes and before she could clear her mind, they were stumbling in bed. She couldn't even remember how he got her there, but when her mind started to function properly she was beneath him, his hand holding hers above her head as he ever so slowly drove into her core.

Even after the moment was long gone, Regina could remember everything to the last detail; the way he teasingly moved so slow, the way her hands itched to be let free so that she could touch him, how he was stretching her in the most delicious of ways as she burned with need.

He took his time with her and she was left shaking, her legs wrapping around him as she begged him to go faster and yet, he wouldn't exactly give her what she needed. He would take her to a point where she thought she was going to explode and then he would stop his movements to kiss her long and deep, the feeling of his cock buried to the hilt inside of her making her moan gravelly.

It has been a sweet torture; the feeling of her hard nipples brushing against his chest turned to overwhelming, the way his weight pressed against her enough to leave her breathless and the hardness of him going so deep into her that she could feel him touching things inside of her made her feel delirious. With all those feelings combined her breathing turned shallow and she would have sworn that she was in a fever pitch; every inch of her skin has been vibrating and it made her extremely eager.

She needed more… he had to know it and feel it because she was sure that she could smell the scent of her own arousal so he had to know. And yet, he was torturing her.

It wasn't until she got the force to turn them around so that she would be the one on top that things took a turn.

Robin has laughed at that, the sound of it dark and feral and even though he said something about her impatience, his eyes had darkened with passion and his breath got stuck in his throat as she started to move.

She rode him at her pace, hard and steady and with his hand holding her waits she forgot about everything that wasn't getting lost in the moment.

Her hips rocked against him in a long sensuous dance that seemed to have to end and when he told her to touch herself so that he could watch she did; she didn't even hesitate, her fingers reached down to their joining and without a care in the world she manipulated the small bundled of nerves between her folds until she came undone with a strangled moan that felt as if torn from her the deepest part of her being.

That way, with her mind swimming and her legs turning to rubber, she collapsed against him, panting and satiated. Robin, having more in him just held her to him and moving his hand to her ass so that he could push her even closer, he finished as well.

All that happened as soon as they arrived; now, a couple of hours later she simply remembered it as she stood at the balcony of their hotel room, her lips pursing a little as he suddenly pressed to her back.

"Why are you out of bed?" He asked in a raspy whisper in her ear.

Smiling, Regina shrugged. She was barefoot and basically next to naked in a cold chilly night so yes, he was in all his right to ask. "I couldn't sleep."

Pressing his lip to the joining of her neck and shoulder, the blue-eyed man breathed into her scent. "So you decided to come out here and freeze?" After asking that, he dragged his lips from her neck to her jaw and hummed. "Or is it that you were waiting for me to come and warm you up."

Parting her lips and feeling the way he moved the flat of his hand to her stomach, Regina held her breath; her eyes closing as the feeling of his fingers moving through the fabric of the shirt she was wearing sent shivers down her spine.

"I was actually thinking."

"About what?" He did it slowly, but as he spoke, he slid his hand from her stomach, reaching between her legs and because she was wearing nothing but one of his shirts, he immediately found what he was looking for.

"And here I was thinking you were really concerned about me being cold."

"Oh I am, I am very concerned with my woman being cold… that's why I want to warm her up in the most pleasurable way."

"Your woman?" She asked with an arch of her eyebrow. "How medieval, I am no one's but my own."

"That's not true…" He said, his fingers making way to touch her as he wanted to. "You are mine… _this_ is mine."

Now, Regina didn't know how he did it, but a single touch and her judgment already got clouded. She was even willing to let that chauvinistic thing he said slip if he just kept touching her like that.

"You are as mine as I am yours." Then, as his forefinger parted her folds so he could touch her more intimately, a liquid warm sensation started to settle in her groin and she focused on nothing but sensation.

"Does that sounds right to you? Because it does to me. Yes?"

Biting into her lips to stop herself moaning, she nodded, barely aware that she shouldn't physically react like that when someone could watch her from another balcony. But she was, and she couldn't help it, even when it has been so recently that he has been mounted in a high because of him.

"Fuck, you're so wet already, is that for me?" He whispered darkly and lifting her face, she used her hand to reach for his already hard member.

She stroked him through his pants and when he groaned, she smiled.

"You are hard already, is that for me?"

"Always for you, love."

A soft moan escaped her as he ran circles around her clit and her nipples, already hardened because of the cold started to feel way too sensitive as they brushed against the fabric of the shirt. She didn't know how he did it… she really didn't, but with his warm lips nibbling against her earlobe, she could already see herself falling prey to his will once again.

And she did, right there, in the open and with the possibility that they could be seen, he took out his cock and making her bent a little against the railing, he slid into her wet entrance from behind.

"Shit, Regina… I love how you feel like this."

"Yeah?" She held herself steady, the sensation of his thrusts tighter from that angle.

Pushing the shirt higher on her hips, he hissed. "Oh yeah… the view is not bad either. You're fucking gorgeous, babe… love watching you."

Regina forced her eyes to remain open as he drove deep into her, and as he told her those things, her gaze fixed in the skies as they once again became one. He filled her all the way and because it has been so recently after their last encounter, they gave into each other almost languidly.

True, there was a sweet urgency in what they were doing, but as the night watched their union, they had no hurries to find their climax.

That's why he took his time, squeezing her ass, reaching for her breast, sucking kisses down her spine.

It was almost enough to make her feel delirious, and when the pressure on her womb finally gave in and he followed her soon after, Regina bent even forward and watching the gardens below, she took in a deep satisfied breath.

"We are going to get arrested one day if we keep doing this public sex thing."

Robin was kissing the back of her neck and she could feel the warm essence of his release leaking down her legs. "You think?"

"Yes." She breathed out, throwing her head back against him. They remained like that for a while, but then he took her to bed, making her lay on her back so that he could trace random patterns to her still flat stomach.

"So what were you thinking about out there?"

"Oh now you want to know?" She snickered, her hand going to his head and her fingers burying into his hair. "What if I don't want to tell you now?"

Clearing her throat, she watched as he moved lower down her body, his mouth sliding over her stomach so he could kiss her there. "Hey there buddy, I'm just here hoping you get everything from your mother but that tendency for being dramatic she has on her."

"Don't be an asshole, you'll feel bad when I tell you what I was thinking about."

Giving her stomach one last smooch, Robin moved alongside her, sliding up over the mattress until he was hovering over her, kissing her chin, her cheeks, the tip of her nose... "Tell me."

Taking in a deep breath, her eyes settled on his, trying to find the right way to say this. "I was thinking of you… and I know it's stupid but I was thinking about how… I had you right in front of me for so long without even seeing you. I was just…" She breathed in, organizing her thoughts. "What I feel for you is like nothing I've felt before and definitely nothing I ever dared to hope. You understand me like nobody else and… I love you so much and I can't help but to think that I could've had this sooner… you know, if I wouldn't have been so dense."

Lifting a hand to her face and running the pad of his thumb to her mouth, he smiled that smile she loved so much. "You have it now, that's all that matters. And you'll have it for a long time, I mean you don't know this but I swore to myself long ago that I was never going to let you go and I mean to keep that promise. You are my present and my future, Regina, so this-" He said, pointing at them. "Will only grow better and stronger; do you get that?"

Feeling the same tightness in her chest that made her cry like a fool during their vows, Regina just nodded.

"Good." With that said, he replaced his thumb with his lips and kissed her, deep and long…

Regina kissed him back, musing that yes, that she has been thinking about that, but also about their baby. That right there only made her realize that yes, that exactly as he said in his vows, that this was going to be where their story really began…

-FIN-

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing guys, you really are the best. This is the end of the story but I will do an epilogue to close a few more things. Until then


	29. Chapter 29

She didn't realize that he was gone until it was too late… didn't even took notice until she suddenly extended one of her arms in the direction he was supposed to be sitting only to have her fingertips find the emptiness of the spot he just vacated.

His side of the bed was cold… meaning that he has been long gone.

Not like his absence surprised her, after all she hasn't acted like the best company and for the entire duration of the movie they were supposed to be watching, she hasn't really been paying attention to him or anything other than the slight discomfort her still growing belly provoked in her back.

She has shifted and complained all the way through, going from half laying on top of him, to sitting with her legs stretched out over his to plain and simply rest her back as straight as she could against the headboard of their bed… and it wasn't until she ended up laying on her side with her back to him that she ended up being comfortable.

Actually, she has found herself to be so comfy that she even dozed off, especially when his hand found its way into her hair so that his nails could scratch lazily against her scalp.

What could she say? His touch was calming and she was tired… and from the moment she miraculously found that perfect spot, she has been dwelling in a limbo where she wasn't fully awake but not truly asleep either. She was somewhere in between, her eyes drooped to nearly closing, fluttering almost imperceptibly every few seconds but never quite opening and never quite closing.

All until she realized he was gone.

"Robin?" Blinking a couple of times while rolling to her back, Regina scanned the bedroom, confirming that yes, her husband was gone and who knew since when.

There was no sign of him and the only hint that he has even been there was how he left the movie on pause. That meant he might take a while to come back so she took the opportunity to reach towards her bedside table and open the only drawer it had.

Biting hard on her lips in anticipation, the raven-haired woman took out a meticulously hidden orange bag, the kind that Robin exclusively told her not to eat ever again and she started munching out of it without hesitation. She tried to hurry through it though, not wanting to get caught, her tongue suddenly feeling as if it was being stabbed with sharp needles as the Flaming Hot Cheetos invaded all her senses in that strange way she has come to love in her pregnancy.

So yeah, she did that, one hand digging into the bag and the other one rubbing her protruding stomach, soothing her restless baby as it started to move and apparently wriggle inside of her.

"I know, I know it's not comfy there. Hell, I'm not comfortable either." She mumbled between bites, having long ago stopped feeling awkward when talking to her unborn child.

It was a habit now, after all the baby growing inside of her has been her constant companion for the past eight months and there was just no way she could evade forming a mother and daughter bond.

Now, if Robin would be there, he would blame their baby's restlessness on the '_wretched'_ Cheetos as he liked to call them and he would make her throw them away… but Robin wasn't there and well, she was sure the baby liked them as much as she did.

It was their thing and even though she was aware they were far from being healthy, she was disturbingly addicted to them…

"Well look who we caught red-handed, kiddo… look what we found. And what do we say when mommy is being naughty?"

"Mommy no."

Startled at the sudden interruption, Regina jumped a little, her eyes automatically going to the door to find Robin standing there with their one-year old son securely in his arms.

Yes, she has been caught, again, but still being the stubborn creature that she was she rolled her eyes. "I swear you want to put him against me."

Robin hummed, walking towards the bed, one eyebrow arched as he stared intently at her. He didn't say anything though, he just grabbed the bag of Cheetos from her hand and shook his head.

With a roll of her eyes, Regina sighed, reaching for Roland so that she could take him instead.

"Mommy is not being naughty." She said, and when the boy clung to her neck, she cradled his head in her hand, her fingers burying into his soft curls. Then she narrowed her eyes and fixed Robin with a hard glance.

"Will you really make me search the entire house for these wretched things?"

"I wouldn't have to hide them if you weren't so…" She stopped there, pursing her lips as she tried to search for a word Roland wouldn't repeat after her. After all he was starting to talk and she didn't want the boy to be as foul-mouthed as she was. "So… set against me eating them."

"Do you want me to read to you the nutrition facts on this one again? Or do you need a reminder of how restless our daughter gets when you eat these?" As if to prove his statement, he climbed in bed and rested the palm of his hand on her stomach and yeah, much to her mortification, the baby was rioting. "See?"

Tilting her chin up and balancing Roland against her, Regina rolled her eyes and hissed not to disturb her boy. She could tell he was sleepy by the way he was swirling his little finger around her hair as that was how he seemed to like when he was with her falling asleep.

"Well… all of this is your fault. My back pain, how I can't sleep or breath or even walk like a normal person so the least you could do was let me eat my dam… my Cheetos in peace."

Robin laughed heartily at that. "Oh so we're back at this being my fault?"

"Yes." Snarling her lips, the brown-eyed woman scoffed because yes, it was his fault. She has been telling him that for her entire pregnancy, because if he hadn't knocked her up so soon after giving birth to their first child, they wouldn't be in this predicament.

Now sure, she couldn't regret it as having this new baby was something that filled her entire existence… but two babies in a row was a bit too much. Especially for someone who never before Roland came along even nursed the idea of reproducing.

Now look at her…

She got pregnant for a second time when Roland was barely three months old and yeah, that has been a shock that still haven't completely left her.

She cried, oh yes she did, like she has never done in front of him, and what could she say? Back then she was still too hormonal and she just couldn't help it, so she cried with Robin mumbling sweet nothings in her ear.

She was better now, but she still used the 'this is all your fault' card when she felt like it.

"Well I never heard you complaining when we were making this child. In fact, you were rather encouraging." He replied cheekily and groaning, Regina mumbled an '_I_ _hate_ _you'_.

"No you don't." Breathing in, Robin leaned forward and kissed her, his mouth lingering against hers for a few seconds before moving along to kiss their boy's forehead.

"Hmm no I don't." She mumbled with what appeared to be an annoyed tone, but in fact she was just playing difficult.

He knew it, in fact, it was scary how Robin could read her like an open book… but it was what it was… this was her life now and even though it wasn't what she had envisioned, it was exactly how she wanted it to be.

It was amazingly perfect… the way one day she woke up and to finally see that she was in this place where everything was how it was meant to be and everything felt right; her heart was calm, her soul was lit as she realized that she was at peace with who she was and where she has been.

Robin gave her that, he walked into her heart like he always belonged there, took down her walls and lit her soul on fire. He just swept her off her feet and got it right where everybody else got it wrong.

So no, she didn't hate him… how could she when she loved him more than what she has ever loved herself?

Smiling, she used her free hand to rest it against his cheek, caressing him lovingly and getting lost into his deep blues; but then after kissing the inside of her wrist he lowered himself so that he could be at eye-level with her pregnant stomach, kissing her along the way.

"Well, little one. Mommy got you all bothered but here's daddy ready to take care of it… just as I always take care of that stunningly beautiful but oh so stubborn mother of yours."

Regina's eyes rolled. Roland was apparently fast asleep because his hand dropped from her hair and his breathing was steady against her neck, he was also completely limp so she leaned back, making him lay on top of her.

Meanwhile, Robin kept talking to their unborn child… all until he started to sing the same song he for some reason also sang to Roland to put him to sleep.

'_Oh my love for the first time in my life  
My eyes are wide open  
Oh my lover for the first time in my life  
My eyes can see_

_I see the wind  
Oh, I see the trees  
Everything is clear in my heart  
I see the clouds  
Oh, I see the sky  
Everything is clear in our world.'_

When he was done, Regina's hand was buried in his hair and their daughter was calm. Hell, with the slow melody and the smoothness of his voice she was even dozing off herself once again and it wasn't until she felt him take Roland from her that her eyes opened.

"I'll take him to his crib."

Regina hummed, meaning to go to sleep, but in a few minutes he was back and he was making her drink a glass of water, according to him to help the effects of the Cheetos not be so bad.

She complained because drinking water before bed meant multiple trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night and she hated that. Still, she drank all of it.

"Seriously, Regina, you have to drop those things."

"I know." She said, closing her eyes and laying on her side.

In that position, her back was to him so he pressed against her, his face burying into the crook of her neck so that he could breathe from her scent and place a kiss to her pulse point.

"You smell so good." He said, his voice low in his throat as his hand slid to her stomach and then a little up so it could cradle her left breast.

"It's just water and soap." She said a bit cutting because she knew that low voice and those touches and no, if he thought he was getting some that night he was very mistaken…

She didn't feel like it; she was huge, she was cranky and oh so sleepy…

"You know what this reminds me? First time we shared a room. You ended up throwing yourself at me… naked."

Despite herself, she chuckled. "I didn't throw myself at you, Robin. I genuinely tripped and fell on top of you. The being _half_-naked part was just an unfortunate accident."

"It wasn't unfortunate for me. I mean if we forget how you broke my lip, it was as very interesting way to wake up."

"That's because you're a damn pervert."

"I may be…" He started to say, slipping a hand underneath her camisole and reaching up to run it over the swell of her breast. "And trust me, the thoughts running through my mind back then were anything but chaste. But… if you look back at it, I was a perfect gentleman, both that time and later when you let me upgrade into the bed so you could end up all over me again."

"God, those were really awkward moments." She slapped a hand to her forehead, remembering that she has indeed been all over him on those initial days when they were just faking everything

"I could barely sleep through the night… I mean you were so… tempting being there and it was a bloody struggle Regina, you always had that on me." His lips moved down, tracing the outline of her neck, all until he reached the curve where it met her shoulder. "You still do."

"Liar. I'm huge and barely worth notice, you just say that because you're horny." And really, she knew because by then she could feel his erection insistently poking her from behind.

"Are you serious? Babe, you're gorgeous… always has been and being pregnant hasn't changed a thing… especially not when it comes to me wanting you."

His restless hands went from her breasts and then down to her side, enjoying the smoothness of her skin and then the firmness of her protruding stomach. Regina let him do that for a while, and when he took a moment to strip her off her camisole, she let him do that as well.

He pulled away a little to do that, and when she caught the glint of his eyes as he scanned her over, she believed what he said about him finding her worth noticing.

That right there provoked a slight tremor to run down her spine and yeah, she was suddenly not so sleepy anymore.

"You're stunning." His voice, so low in his throat made her tremble and when lowered his face to place a kiss on her collarbone, she hummed. Then he dragged his mouth down to the fullness of her breast and kissed her there too.

"I particularly love these two, they are… so full."

"Of course you do." She snorted, biting on her lips and wondering how was it that he was able to do this… to change her mood so drastically about what she wanted. Because yes, as the flat of his tongue ran against her nipples, she decided that she did want him.

"Could do this all day if you let me… or Roland for that matter."

She had no answer to that, so opening her moistened lips but not saying a word, Regina leaned forward and searched for his erection… her hand finding out that he was naked already.

"Really, Robin?"

Instead of replying, his lips closed over one of her hard nipples, the warmness of his mouth enough to make feel needy for more.

Enjoying the feeling, she grabbed him, he was hard as he was going to get so she had to use her whole hand to have a good feel of him, her palm sliding up and then down so she could get the whole length of him.

"Why don't you give me this?" She whispered in his ear, squeezing him in her hand as her nose caught the distinct scent of his skin… so his and alluring.

"You want it?"

"Yeah…" She breathed out.

And she did, her panties were already soaked in anticipation and she wanted him to relieve that sweet ache that had taken hold of her. But instead of humoring her, Robin smirked, his tongue running against her skin before sucking on her.

As he busied himself with her breast, taking turns with each one of them, Regina gave him a few jerks.

He growled, low and against her skin and this time she was the one who smirked. "I want it now."

"Alright." He pulled away a little, sliding her panties off her legs; when they were tossed aside, he positioned himself behind her. Once there, he grabbed one of her thighs and lifted it up, making room for himself as he got ready to take her from behind.

"You better enjoy it now, because once I give birth to your daughter, I won't let you touch me."

No… not until she made sure she wasn't going to get pregnant again because that would be it for her, three babies in such a short amount of time. Two was a multitude so yeah… no touching allowed until she was sure.

"Right, as if you could stay away for long. Remember after Roland was born? You were the one needing me to fill you up. You wanted it so bad…"

Closing her eyes as he rubbed the tip of his cock to her wetness, Regina gasped. Yes, she has wanted him with an urgency hard to ignore and well, as a result she was about to have a new baby.

But it was just that back then, adjusting to her life as a new mom has been ridiculously hard; that having someone depending entirely on her has been overwhelming and at first she put aside her needs as a woman to concentrate on her role as a mother… but when she started to get the hang of it she suddenly realized how Robin has been always there, supporting her all the way through and feeling for him something stronger than love, she poured all that energy in a physical way.

Every time Roland would allow them, she would kiss him long and deep until they would stumble wherever they were to make love… the rest was history.

"You say that as if I had to beg you… you wanted it bad too."

"Of course I did, there hasn't been a day where I don't want you. Even when I close my eyes you're there…"

Reaching for her, Robin curled a hand to her throat and guided her mouth to his, capturing her, his tongue swirling into her mouth as she kissed him back. He was still holding her, securing her, and not wanting to wait any longer she pushed against him until he was all the way settled inside of her.

Unable to help it, she pulled from his lips and moaned. With her being so wet he had gone smoothly in, but as his fingers dug into her flesh and her legs spread as far as they could in that position, she felt overwhelmed by sensation.

She wanted to enjoy the ride slowly, but when he moved within her, almost withdrawing to then go back in, she almost lost it. It made her crave for something hard and fast, something that would make her ache in the most satisfying way once morning came.

"Regina… shit you feel fucking amazing. Can you feel it too?" He hissed, repeating the movement again, pulling almost all the way out, and going back in.

"Yes." She panted as if in a trance as his hips pushed against her until his girth was all the way in. He went back and forth, making her burn all over, making her feel delirious.

"Oh my God, Robin. Harder… ah-"

"Fuck, babe… I love listening to you… like this. Enjoying yourself."

His voice came off breathless, but he did as she told him, his rhythm exactly as she needed it. It was insane, considering that earlier on all she wanted was to sleep.

Now she was on the verge of an orgasm. It was there, the pressure wanting to rip off of her but not quite getting there yet.

But then it happened, before she could beg him to take care of her, he made his hand go to her burning heat and he rubbed her clit exactly how she liked it. It hit her hard and unable to hold it, Regina moaned gravelly, the tension leaving her body in pleasant waves of ecstasy.

"Ah…" Her moment stretched, and as he kept on, from time to time she would emit a series of low moans that seemed to be torn right from the most secret part of her being, she tried to hold them not to wake Roland, but with the things Robin was making her feel it was hard to keep it low.

"That's it…" He whispered darkly against her ear. "Let me hear how much you like it."

"Fuck… Robin… oh I love it, so good."

Her back arched and she let out a low groan, and as he continued to push himself back into her contracting entrance, she thought she couldn't take anymore. It was too intense… her stomach contracting until it felt hard as stones.

"You do?"

"Yeah and I want you to cum in me, let me feel you."

He kept on, then it was the friction of his hand on her clit as his cock pushed deep into her, his tempo becoming more insistent, even harder.

She was a goner once again, and because the feeling was overwhelming, she threw the back of her head against him and gasped out loud. "Fuck, Robin don't stop, don't stop."

His lips went to her throat and he bit lightly before smoothing her skin with his tongue, "I'll give it to you… here, take it."

She pressed into him as he started to empty himself inside of her. His breathing labored, his body tensing and his rhythm erratic. Regina held to him and received the warm essence of him into her, her ear in love with the sounds he made.

It wasn't until he growled and rolled his hips to hers one last time that she let go, her arm reaching behind her as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

For a while neither one said anything, they just focused on getting their breathing back to normal and waited for the beating of their hearts to settle down. The silence didn't feel awkward, at least not for her so she made no effort to break it for a while.

Meanwhile, he remained inside of her, even when she could feel his cum running down her hip and then pooling underneath her.

"You're amazing. Have I told you that?"

"Hmm." She hummed, closing her eyes grabbing his hand to place it to her side.

The baby was pushing hard against her ribs and as she recently found out, the only thing that calmed her was Robin's touch or his voice.

It has been the same with Roland so there was no surprise there.

"I swear with these kids of yours, I'm the one carrying them and having all kinds of discomforts and all for what, so they would rather have you? Tsk. Well I'm telling you, I won't let you have this one… one of them will have to love me and you already claimed Roland."

Knowing she wasn't entirely serious, Robin scoffed. "Don't be silly, Roland loves you and this one will too."

She shrugged because yes, even when Roland was a Robin enthusiast to a fault, there was no denying that the boy was all hers. She was the one who could calm him when he was fuzzy and the one he asked for when he woke up.

Now it was true that he was also all Robin's and that the two would team up against her to bend her at their will… one with the deep blues that she has come to love and the other one with his beautiful soft brown eyes; so yeah, she could say that there was no competition when it came to the boy and them.

The three of them just fit perfectly and with their daughter coming soon, she was sure the dynamics wasn't going to change.

They were going to be the perfect family… one she never even dared hoping to have.

"Robin…" She started to say, grabbing his hand and kissing it.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He smiled, she felt the way his lips curved against the nape of her neck, place where his mouth was resting. "I love you too."

She let the words linger there, her fingers lacing with his as he kissed a path to her shoulder.

"But if you get me pregnant again after this baby, I'm going to kill you. I swear to it right now."

"What? We're still short of two to have the four I told you I wanted."

Scoffing, Regina turned around. It was a struggle since her pregnancy was so advanced; but she managed, as she wanted to say this to his face.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'll go through this all over again, twice."

He smiled his infamous dimple smile, the one that reached all the way into his eyes and that made them light up. "We'll, we could have them just to piss your mother off… maybe she won't ever want to visit us again?"

Scrunching her nose and feeling his hand settle on her cheek, she stuck her tongue out. "She's pissed already as it is, I don't think two more kids will make a difference."

"True… so can we settle for one more kid… not so soon of course and I don't know, a dog? I always wanted a dog."

"Oh my God." She shook her head, mortified not because of a third kid but about the dog. She wasn't sure if she could bear that. "You're pushing it Robin."

"You'll say yes, I know it." He mumbled, leaning forward and kissing her.

She kissed him back, her fingers running into his hair as his tongue melted with hers. It was one of the things she loved about their relationship, that everything ended up with a kiss and that was something she didn't plan on loosing.

"You'll see…" He mumbled against her mouth.

Regina hummed, biting his lower lip. "Yeah, we'll see…" And with that, she kissed him again, sealing the argument the only way they knew how to.

Little did she know, that in the long run, she would end up giving in… and that their family was yet to be completed…

FIN


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes**: Alright so this is going to be a little quarantine OS, so be warned that it will have a little bit of Covid19 drama at the beginning. I will try not to dwell too much on it, but I think it's necessary to set the chapter. Anyway, this will have a lot of Regina being Regina so bear with her; I also cut it in two because I planned too much for it and it was getting too long. Thanks for reading and for those who talked me into writing this, enjoy!

**THE PROPOSAL**

She didn't want to be mad, she really didn't. But the reality of everything was that she has never been good at channeling her emotions and this… _thing_ that was happening, this huge Covid19 thing, was tickling her in all the wrong places and as it was to be expected, she was not dealing with it so well.

She was worried, frustrated and anxious as hell and well, all those bottled up emotions created a time bomb that exploded as soon as Robin told her the news… that they would quarantine at Granny's.

What could she say? The different feelings she has been harboring over the past few weeks simply bundled up and created something entirely different, and they unfortunately manifested in such a way that at the end, all she felt was anger… annoyance, if you will.

Looking back at it, the brunette guessed she started to really feel a mix of those emotions' way before that moment. Probably, when Robin got stuck in Milan during a business trip and wasn't able to come back home.

It was then that helplessness rolled into disbelief, disbelief evolved into a low simmering terror brewing in the pit of her stomach and then a sense of devastation took over.

Sure, Robin assured her time and time again that he was fine and safe and that he would get back to her as soon as he could, but it took him two weeks in mandatory quarantine and a couple of negative tests before he was able to make it back.

Between one thing and the other, that made it exactly nineteen days of pure hell where all she did besides taking care of the kids was freak out with thoughts of Robin never coming back.

Yes, it felt a little bit over the top even for her own melodramatic ways; but all the reports started to point out how this virus wasn't just a flu that targeted certain areas of the population as they were first made to believe; no… it was worse and it attacked everyone.

Once that new information registered in her brain, Regina got obsessed with reading all of what she could about the novel virus. It came to a point where she barely slept, her nights haunted with thoughts of her husband getting sick and dying alone.

It didn't happen, thankfully, as he got cleared out; but the scars of so much worrying were still there.

She realized that later on, that such dark thoughts dug so deep within her than even when he finally walked through the door of their home, they still lurked somewhere in the back of her head.

That was the reason why she has been so edgy when he came back. She was mentally exhausted and emotionally drained and her being like that contributed to why she didn't take the news so well.

It bugged her, because after three weeks of not seeing each other face to face, after such a slow agony from her part, he didn't even let her fully enjoy having him back before he was telling her to pack.

He had it all planned out, without even warning her beforehand. He just came, kissed her and the kids and then he was talking about how he even made some purchases to be delivered straight to Granny's… oh, because by the way, it wasn't in the big house they were going to stay in, nooo, as that would have been too easy, it was in the woods.

In the freaking _woods_. Robin, her, two toddlers and the dog…

"No." She has said firmly and she meant it.

There was no good reason for them to abandon a perfectly good house of three bedrooms, a huge functioning kitchen and two bathrooms to go wandering in the woods like a bunch of savages.

London was good, the house was stocked up and they had two of the most important things that the woods at Granny's lacked, plumbing and electricity.

If he wanted to go camping, he could go and put up a tent by the pool and sleep a few nights there with Max, outdoors.

She would even bring him food if he wanted, so wasn't that wonderful?

According to Robin, no, it wasn't. He went on and on about how Milan has been crazy, he lectured her about all the people who were unknowingly infected and spreading the dangerous disease around and with her asthma, that was a risk he was not willing to take.

That's when her anger started simmering, because for Heaven's sake! Her asthma was something that hadn't given her problems in long years, so no, that was not a valid reason. They were not going and that was final…

Crossing her arms petulantly to her chest, Regina quirked her lips and rolled her eyes, the memory of that argument invading her mind once again.

She just couldn't believe him, how he stubbornly refused to hear all her reasons to stay, and what was worse, how he wrecked what would have been a perfect reunion between them.

To that moment, a day after, it still riled her up because it was supposed to be a nice quiet night for them, their first after such a long time and… ugh, he ruined it.

She even cooked a nice dinner for the occasion, meaning to spoil the hell out of him; she also got them a bottle of the best wine she could have delivered and prepared things to give him a nice massage to make him finally relax.

There were even candles, a bit of music to set the mood and all that shit, because she has meant to have one night to remember.

All that was ruined though, and as it happened, the only thing that was touched that night was the food. It was wrong from her part and she knew it, but she ended up in such a sour mood that she went to bed right after the kids while Robin started to load everything he wanted to take into his truck.

"Where do you think we should put these cushions? I was thinking a good distance from the lake but not too far either."

"Here, daddy here!" Roland yelled excitedly as he jumped up and down, his arms flying up in the air and his hair going everywhere.

He was a bit over enthusiastic that day and that apparently made Rylee, their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter giggle in mimicked excitement.

Now yes, in any other occasion, Regina would have smiled at her babies being so happy, but in that moment, all she felt like doing was narrowing her eyes as she eyed the little traitors one by one, first the one jumping nonstop and then the little blonde girl being all chirpy in her father's arms.

She couldn't believe them either, all those months that she carried them around inside her body, hours of painful delivery, countless of fevers soothed and boo-boos kissed and all for what? For them to pick daddy when she needed allies the most?

Un-fucking-believable.

Unable to help it, Regina rolled her eyes at that thought. They didn't even notice though, partly because the designer's sunglasses hiding her eyes and partly because they were all focused on Roland being silly.

"Here? Don't you think that's a little too close to the door?" Robin asked with one of those dimple smile that at the moment she found so annoying; but even though he was asking their boy, his eyes moved up to look at her.

Blinking a couple of times, she kept her face as neutral as she could, acting as if she didn't even hear him.

"I like em here." Roland insisted. He was still jumping, apparently trying to smooth a wild patch of grass that refused to stay down by stomping on it.

"And what does mommy think?"

Oh so he was asking for her opinion now? Hell no, too late.

"You can put them wherever you want to put them." It wasn't like she cared, as she was in a one-woman sit-down strike.

Licking his lips in that way that meant he was trying not to answer back, Robin watched her for a few seconds, his eyes burning her skin as if his stare was a physical thing.

She didn't give him one inch tough, returning the eye-lock with the same intensity because no, she couldn't exactly tell him where he could put the stupid cushions with the kids being there…

"Down daddy."

Rylee's high-pitched demand took them both out of their trance; first Robin, who kissed the top of the little girl who definitely had his coloring, but all of her mother's personality and then Regina, who watched as her husband put the toddler down.

Once on the ground, she went to join Roland, the two little Locksleys giggling as they tried to maintain their balance.

"Are you going to have that face all day long?"

Try the whole quarantine, Regina wanted to say, but instead she shrugged. "It's the one I was born with, can't change it just because you don't like it."

Robin sighed, clearly annoyed, which was a rare thing on him as his patience was usually infinite. But Regina was glad, as she wanted him to feel the same way she was feeling.

"Alright just straight tell me what's bothering you so much so we can cut with the passive-aggressive darts you have been throwing at me nonstop."

Scoffing because how could he not know what was bothering her, Regina did a double take. They have been together for over three years now and he didn't know why she was so moody?

For some reason, that made her feel a bit more annoyed.

"You mean like you want to know why I'm not happy about you dragging us all into this God forsaking woods in the middle of a worldwide disaster, without even counting with my say on the whole matter?"

"We talked about why we should come here-"

He started to say, but cutting him off before he could finish, Regina clenched her jaw and walked a bit closer so the kids won't listen.

"No, _you_ talked about it. And all you expected me to do was to blindly follow you into this camp trip from hell."

Chuckling in a way that was more like him in his easy-going nature, the blue-eyed man threw his hands up in the air. "Come on Regina, look around you and tell me this is a camp trip from hell. And don't talk just sour grapes, as I know you can be more objective than that."

Regina looked around and yes, maybe what he arranged to be put up was a little better than what he has done all the previous times he has made her go there; but she still hated it.

She was a city oriented person, and even though he upgraded the tent and gotten themselves one of those shipping containers type of thing that looked nice and airy, fit a mattress, two small cribs and still had room for storage and sitting, it was still in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, he had it painted, put up nice curtains, a vase with fresh flowers and overall had it nicely set up, so if that counted for something, she would give it to him.

But looking beyond the aesthetics, there was no bathroom but a wretched outhouse privy and to bathe, she would have to be out in the open and use a weird looking thing Robin apparently made Little John install as a shower.

How could she take care of two small kids in those conditions? Like… where the hell would she cook?

There was nothing set outside but a few cushions thrown together randomly over a huge blanket, so there was not even a proper place to eat their meals and what was worse, there wasn't a good Wi-Fi connection there.

"Look." He said, grabbing her hand and making her walk closer to the container. Once there, he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist while he made her look in through the huge glass panel that served as a wall to where their bedding was set up.

"Just imagine waking up to this amazing view we have here. The sun coming out and shining on the lake, birds are singing, kids are sleeping and your husband is kissing his way down here."

As if to demonstrate, he pressed a finger to her lips and then dragged it down her chin, lower to her collarbone and then right between her breast and to her stomach.

He stopped there, looking back to make sure Roland and Rylee were not looking, and when he knew they weren't, he slid his hand right between her legs, letting his fingers curve over her crotch.

"Wouldn't that be nice, to have me making you feel all kinds of good?" He asked, his mouth pressing to her pulse point to kiss her there.

Feeling his fingers teasingly brush over her, Regina bit hard into the inside of her cheek. It has been too long since Robin touched her like that so even though the contact was over the fabric of her pants, her body reacted immediately.

A heat took over her as that sweet liquid sensation he never failed to provoke settled where he was touching.

Still, she wasn't going to yield so easily.

"You could've made me feel all kinds of good back home. In our bed, in a real house with a functioning toilet."

Taking his hand away from between her legs, Robin sighed, placing it instead over the curve of her waist.

"Come on, babe, it's not that bad. I know you hate camping so I tried to make it all better for you. Little John was at it for quite a few days you know, and those little things up there I just installed are solar panels so we can have electricity. It won't be much but enough for a few essentials. You can charge your iPad and I can set up the projector and watch some movies out here. The kids would love it."

At the mention of the two little ones, Regina looked at them. They already gave up on jumping and were now playing over the huge blanket, Roland lying down and laughing out loud as Rylee would take one of the cushions to put it over him and lay down as well.

"How long do you really expect us to stay here? Because it sounds like you planned it all for more than a weekend."

"Well… a couple of weeks… maybe more if things don't get better."

Regina snorted bitterly. A couple of weeks was way too long, so in the best-case scenario, she was still going to end up losing her mind.

"And you expect me do just… I don't know? Go all medieval and cook over rocks and wash clothes by the lake? What about stuff for the kids? There isnt even a fridge to keep their juice and snacks nice."

"Of course there is." Walking into the container, Robin made it to what she first believed to be a small cabinet, but when he opened it, a small fridge was revealed.

It was even filled, which provoked a very cheeky smile to grace his face. It annoyed her.

"The solar panels will keep this one running so yeah, one of your worries taken down; there's also a grill outside and some electric appliances somewhere around so the cooking is settled, and so is the washing clothes thing. I mean, I told you I wanted us to stay away from Granny to keep her from being exposed, but I can go to the big house's basement once a week and use the laundry, at least as long as I disinfect everything once I'm done. Same with provisions, I have a few things stored there in case we run out of them here."

Narrowing her eyes, Regina saw how it all was. The little asshole had it all set up, meaning that this wasn't a thing he decided out of the blue.

No, while she was going out of her mind with him gone and the virus creating havoc left and right, her dear husband has been planning this whole thing out. He even got himself busy buying shipping containers, throw blankets and little fridges online without even letting her now.

For some reason, that rubbed her wrong in all kinds of way… not that he set it all up, because she was sure she would have ended up humoring him, as always, if he came clean with her, but because he did it all behind her back.

"So, isn't all of this perfect?" He asked, opening another cabinet, this one showing a few bottles of wine and other favorites of hers.

"Perfect?" She scoffed, her eyes rolling. Yes, it was a hell of an improvement from last time they spend a weekend in a tent and Rylee crawling all over the place, but she would rather be home. "You talk like you put together the Buckingham Palace here, Robin, but it isn't. It's a damn shipping container in the middle of camp nowhere."

And there, that did it. The way his features dropped made her immediately regret her words. It also made her rotten mood melt and turn into guilt so she almost said it, her usual 'sorry, I'm an asshole' line.

But she didn't, and instead she just stared at the way he lifted a hand to let it run over his jaw.

"I know it isn't the Buckingham Palace and maybe it isn't enough to your standards, but if it serves to keep you and the kids safe then it will have to do."

"We could have been safe-"

"_And_ if I have to spend the next few weeks watching you roll your eyes all the way to the back of your head then so be it Regina, I'll bear it, because at least I get to keep seeing your face without a bloody ventilator on it."

With that said, Robin walked pass her and headed towards the kids, asking who wanted to go collect some wood for the fire.

As was to be expected, both toddlers offered in excitement, yelling their _me, me, me_ even if they didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

Hell, even Max who has been happily chewing on one if his toys started getting all interested, wriggling his tail and heading towards the commotion.

Robin took them all, not even looking back at her, but the visible way in which he was clenching his jaw letting her now how pissed off he was.

"Well shit." Regina mumbled under her breath, asking the same question she has asked herself over and over again through the years.

Why did she have to be like that?

And really, she knew Robin was doing all of what he was doing to keep them safe and yes, it was obvious he has gone out of his way to appeal to all her quirks. From how he packed all they could ever need to some other things just to keep her content.

The wine, for example, but she has also spied a few of the books she always kept leaving for later laying among his stuff, a few movies and even her favorite body lotion.

So yes, quarantine in the woods wasn't exactly a thing she wanted to do or where she wanted to be, but it could be a hell of a lot worse and yes, as cheesy as it was, at least they were together.

But still, even if she knew all of that, she went ahead and made him feel like shit. She, Regina Mills, the same woman who three days ago was scared out of her mind because she thought she may never see her husband again, made him now walk out on her all upset because she was an asshole…

Blowing out a breath forcefully through her mouth, the brown-eyed woman slapped a hand to her forehead, her eyes closing as her memories went back to that devastating look he sent her way.

It has been a mixture of him not believing what she said and then accepting it and being hurt…

"Okay, it's not that bad." She said out loud because let's face it, Robin has put up with way worse than what she just threw at him and he always forgave her.

He was that good, he was in that level of understanding so if anything, that only made her feel worse.

But not wanting to dwell in her more than common regrets, Regina decided that the first step to take, was try and let go of the chip on her shoulder.

That should be the easy part, as she really didn't want to be mad and let alone with Robin, so the next step to take was this, she needed to start looking at things through the positive aspects of them.

Right in that moment, the brightest point in all that mess was that they were all healthy and together.

Sure, it wasn't ideal to bathe the kids in a damn bucket like he suggested when she mentioned she couldn't get them all cleaned up in a rustic-improvised shower, but it was what it was.

So, decided on changing her attitude, Regina started to fix the cushions Robin apparently brought over the internet and arranged them over the blanket. Putting them in such a way that the four of them could sit and relax.

They could watch a movie too, maybe… or if Robin felt like it, he could even take his guitar out and play something for them.

It was as she mused about that, that she heard someone approach.

"So it is true, the prodigal son returned and with all his entourage behind. The question is, here would he be?"

Lifting her chin to take a look at the newcomer, Regina's lips automatically curved, her distaste after seeing her obvious.

"Ugh, it's you. What do you want?" She asked, her mood slowly starting to sour again.

Arching an eyebrow but making sure to keep her eyes on Regina, Marian smirked.

"With you? Nothing, I was looking for that… so called husband of yours."

"Aren't you always…" Regina hissed because really, even though years have passed since she married Robin, this one was always lurking in the shadows, ready to strike.

It was pathetic, especially since her husband even went as far as blocking her, not only from his phone, but also on his social media.

It has been a nasty affair she watched from the sidelines, a triumphant smile on her face as Robin complained about the woman's nerve.

And really, when she was pregnant with Roland, Marian threw herself head first after Robin, straight up telling him that she would gladly receive him in her bed if he ever felt the need to be with a woman worth of him.

Robin has been furious, and even though he didn't tell Marian that he would never touch her again even if it was with a ten inch pole as Regina would have liked, he did end up cutting her completely off.

"Where is he? I need to talk to him."

Clicking her tongue, Regina shook her head. "I don't think he wants to talk to you."

As if she didn't ever hear her, Marian smiled maliciously. "I see you lost the baby weight; I mean finally. It must have been hard with you know, you being pregnant all the time. How many you have already, three?"

Not sure if she should laugh or actually get mad at the woman's lousy attempts to insult her, Regina bit on her lips, her nose scrunching as he eyed Marian down.

"Four, trying for a fifth now. It's crazy, but that… how was it that you called him? Oh yeah, that so called husband of mine can't seem to keep his hands away. You wouldn't know how that is, but apparently there is something about having a woman that can both satisfy him and give him kids that are actually his that he just loves."

Snarling her lips, Marian's face contorted in obvious anger. "Really? For someone who can't keep away, he is very absent. Couldn't wait to escape seems more accurate."

Not knowing why she kept engaging, Regina smiled a fake smile. "Hardly, but if that thought makes you feel better at night when you entertain all those absurd fantasies of him in your mind then go ahead. Now, if you don't mind, we are trying to keep this social distancing thing rolling and you are spreading all your germs in my family's area. So…"

"I am very healthy."

Feeling a bit vicious, Regina fired back. "I wouldn't be so sure about that; you look quite rabid."

"That's funny, I wonder if Robin would think the same. I mean, he may want me to pass something to him, after all we swapped many a thing… in these same woods, Robin and I."

Marian seemed proud when she said that but no, Regina was not going to fall into her trap. That's why she instead scoffed.

"You know what? I get it, _my husband_ is amazing in all he does and he does look ridiculously good so yeah, it's understandable that you are still hung up about how he dumped you. But darling, it has been years, so get over it. If you could see how pathetic you sound coming here trying to make me believe you have a chance with him, you would die from embarrassment. Where's your self-esteem, for Christ's sake?"

Standing a little straight, Marian flipped at her hair. "Don't be delusional, I didn't come make you believe anything. I came to talk to him because I think it's a very irresponsible thing from his part to come by and settle here, probably bringing the virus along. I came to tell him, that you all need to pack."

Ha, as if she didn't want that herself; but she'll be damned if she ever sided with that woman.

"_Us_, leave? Why? The one trespassing here is you. This is private property so if you don't want us to pass anything to you, you better walk the same way you came in."

"That's a very selfish thing to say. I don't know why, but it doesn't surprise me."

"Selfish in what sense? We are here, in our property minding our own business. We are having no contact with anyone, so the one who is being selfish is you. You have a son, so if us coming here and bringing the virus really worries you, you wouldn't even be here trying to sleaze in just to get near Robin. _You_, are putting your own kid in possible danger for your own selfish reason so come on, let's drop the act."

"Don't bring my son into this." She hissed, her hands clenching into fits.

"Just get out of here Marian; Robin doesn't want to see you. That's why he blocked you, so get that in that sick mind of yours."

Taking in a deep breath, the other woman eyed Regina down. "I can see right through you, and some day he will too."

"He does, he sees through me like nobody else. Always had." And unbelievable enough, he was still there… "Anything else? I want to start disinfecting this."

Lifting one of her hands to point to the spot Marian was standing, Regina twisted her lips.

Apparently defeated, Marian just swirled around on her heels and started walking away, her face a mask of pure anger.

It made Regina smirk, her eyes glued to the way the woman disappeared into the distance.

Once she was gone, the brunette felt reinvigorated so putting her time to good use, she started to prepare a light meal, thinking that as soon as Robin came back, she was going to apologize.

He deserved it, for being the best man she could ever dream of. Her life partner, her best friend, her support, her King…

At least that was what she believed she would be doing; but as soon as she saw him coming back, all she could do was gasp in horror, her eyes sending accusatory darts his way.

"Mommy!" Roland yelped, running wildly towards her. "We were Peppa Pig."

Before he could get anymore near, Robin quickened his steps and grabbed him, swirling him up in the air and making him giggle.

"Papa." The boy squealed, obviously delighted.

Regina watched in even more horror, as Robin did that with only one hand while the other one was holding what appeared to be Rylee.

"What the hell happened?"

Sucking the inside of his cheek into his mouth, Robin shrugged, his posture telling him the walk did nothing to appease his anger.

"Nothing, did something happen? He asked both kids.

"Muddy puddle!" Rylee butted in, yelling at the top of her lungs and then giggling.

For some reason, Robin laughed at that, while all Regina could do was stare at what became of her babies. They were covered head to toe in mud, it was even into their hairs, their faces… and God, their clothes!

"What do you mean nothing happened? They are all…"

"Relax, I'll get them cleaned up." He said dryly before she could even finish. "Come on my princess and prince of mud, you too Max."

Barking, the dog followed, and just like that, Regina was left standing on her own, her mouth slightly parted and her chest wanting to explode in a million accusations.

What could she say? It was barely day one and Robin already allowed the kids go wild in the mud, in the mud!

Thinking of how it was going to take ages to get them completely clean and how the clothes were a step away from being thrown in trash, Regina scratched hard down her neck, her manicured fingers probably leaving marks on her skin.

"No… I'm not going to go off on him." But really, he knew how anal she was when it came to keeping her children tidy, so he just had to know she was riled up.

Still, she was not going to go off on him.

Swallowing on dry, Regina closed her eyes and counted for ten seconds, trying to calm herself down. When she was done, she proceeded to prepare it all for their supper.

By the time they arrived, all of them surprisingly spotless, she bit hard down her tongue and let it go.

What was a little mud, right?

Unfortunately, Robin was the one who apparently didn't want to let go, because yes, he ate, yes he sat down and even entertained the kids while she went and used the wretched shower herself, but he barely spoke a word to her.

Not even when dusk started to settle in and she announced she was going to put the kids to bed.

"Do you want to watch that movie you mentioned? They are out." She said, a very subtle attempt of making peace.

"No, I'll go and get that wood. I couldn't with the kids earlier on." He answered back, getting up to his feet.

"Now? It's dark." Frowning, she secured a sleeping Rylee on her arms.

Robin didn't reply, he just grabbed for a flashlight that apparently came out of his pocket and turned it on, showing her how it illuminated the way into the woods.

That was all he did, so when he actually started to walk away, she acted on impulse.

"Robin…"

He looked back, halting for a second. It was the moment she needed to just say it, an I'm sorry that should put them at ease. But the words got stuck in the back of her throat before she could even say them.

"Yes?" He arched an eyebrow, impatient, still a hell of a lot annoyed so she did the only thing she thought could work; she rose on her toes and kissed him.

Just a peck though, one he definitely did not reciprocate.

"Be careful out there."

Humming, he sent her a quick glance and left.

Feeling a deep ache settle in her chest because Robin never got so angry that he wouldn't even kiss her back, Regina put the kids one by one on their cribs.

She did that quickly, laying on her own mattress as she thought about how she screwed up…

It was like that, with that old fear that one day Robin would leave her after realizing how messed up she was settling into her psyche, that she even dreamed about it, of Robin leaving and taking the kids with him.

That was why she woke up startled, her hands blindly reaching for Robin's side of the bed to find it empty.

"Robin?"

Feeling a bit confused, it took Regina a while to remember where she was, but as soon as it hit her, she immediately got to her feet.

Roland and Rylee where sleeping, apparently undisturbed, but there was no trace of her husband.

Holding her breath and quickly walking out of the container, Regina thought of all the possible scenarios of why he wasn't there.

She imagined him hurt in the woods, or who knew… too sick to make it back. There was even an image of Marian getting to him and trying to kidnap him or something.

All that disappeared though, replaced by a huge wave of relief wash over her because Robin was out there, resting on the cushions and apparently dozing off.

Bringing a hand to her chest, Regina closed her eyes, blowing out a breath that she hoped would make her heartbeat ease a bit.

It did, so once she was better, she walked to him. "Robin, hey…"

Running a hand through his hair, Regina smiled when he started to open his eyes.

"You fell asleep outside, come to bed."

Blinking his eyes back shut, Robin cleared his throat. "You go ahead, I'll be there in a second."

For almost a whole minute she just watched him, her eyes taking all she could of him. But then, she got up and went to bed.

She waited there, waited and waited but that night, Robin never came in… making her wonder if maybe taking him for granted, was the biggest mistake she committed as of late…


	31. Chapter 31

Yes, she was being a little over dramatic and she knew it; but as it often happened when she was hit with one of these mind-traps she often set for herself, she was simply bounded to feel that way.

It was embedded in her mind, this… _thing_ of letting the worst-case scenario seize all of her senses and yes, when that happened, she could do nothing more but to have her thoughts run wild and free.

It was one of those cases when she knew she shouldn't do a thing, but at the same time, she simply couldn't help it.

Now sure, this was a road she hasn't traveled in a while, but right in that moment, her mind was simply in overdrive, tearing what she was seeing into tiny pieces and then going over them almost compulsively; overanalyzing and probably creating her own narrative about what was happening.

Yeah… it was wrong for her to think like that as she was probably misleading herself, but the truth was that the more she peeked through the thick curtains drawn over the glass sliding door that stood tall at the end the shipping container she was into, the more she was sure Robin was irrevocably fed up with her constant bullshit.

One would only have to look at him to know it, because it was all in the little details of what he was doing.

The sparkle in his eyes as he heartily laughed at their children's little antics, the easy-going way in which he absentmindedly scratched Max behind the ear, the relaxed nature of his pose…

He was simply on his element, and that was probably because she wasn't there.

As she saw and yes, maybe she was exaggerating, it seemed like he was definitely tired of her and really, who could blame him? After all she was a real piece of work… and not necessarily in a good way.

That was why he didn't kiss her back the previous night and why he preferred sleeping out than sharing a bed with her, because he finally realized she wasn't worth his time and effort any more.

It took a damn pandemic for him to see this, but now, after a little less than four years, two kids and a mortgage, he was seeing what he should have seen so long ago.

That she was messed up, she always has been and always would be…

Realizing this made Regina bite hard into the inside of her cheek, her fingers closing over the fabric of the curtain as she suddenly felt short of breath.

It was a strange sensation, probably provoked by the fact that she could feel her heart beating so freaking hard that she was sure her chest could burst with the force of it.

Every beat turned into a pound, hammering against her ribcage unmercifully… ringing in her ears as she stood still and watched.

It was ridiculous, but at the same time so, _so_ bad that she had to take a moment to wonder if the tightness in her chest was a direct result of her anxiousness or if it was a symptom she should worry about.

Like… she has been reading everything about the Covid 19 thing and this was the most dangerous indication that maybe she caught the virus or something…

How? She wasn't sure, since she has been taking every precaution. But who knew? With her luck it wouldn't surprise her that this year would have her end up sick, and dumped.

Shaking her head because no, she refused to fall into that road, the brunette took a couple of deep breaths, inhaling all the air she could into her lungs and then releasing it slowly through her mouth, in and out.

She did that without any kind of problem, plus she had no fever or let alone a cough so this probably was a common effect of her worrying herself sick over the smallest little details.

"You're being such a drama queen." She told herself because rationally speaking, that she and Robin hit a rough patch didn't necessarily mean things would end in divorce and a custody battle, especially since they were doing so good before the Milan trip.

She could even say they have been thriving like never before, with their relationship close to being perfect and that should be enough to put her mind at ease.

Sure, like any other marriage out there, they've had a few downs among all the ups and yes, she was ashamed to say that most of them were because of her; but overall, with his never-ending love and patience, Robin put her exactly where she needed to be and that helped so much in taking them to the next level.

That was how amazing he was; he guided her through this terrifying journey of letting someone in and during it, he showed her things about herself she didn't even know. He made her want to do better and yes, it was with him that she finally found her place.

He did that for her, after a few years were she struggled between being a mother to not only one but two babies one after another, running the company and being a wife, he pushed her to be the best version of herself until she finally managed a balance that made her feel at peace.

Thanks to that, she almost forgot about that old fear of turning into her mother or of Robin opening his eyes to the reality of her messed up nature, and that helped her submerge fully into their relationship without holding back.

But now it was back, that fear… gnawing at her brain, disrupting her heart and making it go wild… and that was such a dangerous place to be.

It was simple, being uncertain made her go into full defense mode and she very well knew she wasn't the best person to be around when she felt like that.

Blinking slowly, she let go of the curtain and walked back to her mattress, thinking.

Maybe, instead of speculating, she could go out there and straight ask him what was really going on. This was Robin after all, the man who for the past few years has been everything to her. Her rock, her motor… the force who kept her sane when she thought she was going to lose it and she trusted him more than she has ever trusted anyone. So yeah, if there were doubts in her mind, she should just go and settle them with him.

Besides, what happened wasn't even so deep. Yes, she turned into a little bit of a bitch and yes, they ended up at odds with each other because of it; but if she had to be completely honest, it wasn't like it would be a first for them.

It wasn't, actually, and with her stubbornness, she could also assure it wasn't going to be their last.

What could she say? She was not the easiest person to deal with and because of that, there were going to be times where they clashed horns. But that they did, didn't mean they would break up because of it, right?

She wanted to answer that no, that they wouldn't… but then there was this annoying little voice inside her head that reminded her that never before has Robin remained mad at her for so long… and then it was the fact that he didn't even come to sleep with her.

He has never done that, not by his choice anyway…

Shaking her head because she didn't want her thoughts to keep dwelling in that path, Regina got up to her feet and made up her mind about what to do.

She was going to sneak out towards the wretched bathroom accommodations she had to endure without letting herself be mad at Robin for dragging her there, then she was going to brush her teeth and make herself presentable before going to him.

If he was so mad that he wanted to opt out then so be it, it would suck… no, it would be devastating, but at least she would know.

It was with that in mind that she went and finished with her morning business before finally going to him, a little riled up even if she didn't want to because really, using a latrine no matter how clean it could be, was a very degrading business.

But going pass that and to what was important, she was going to be direct with Robin. She didn't want to beat around the bushes and prolong her agony, so yeah… she would do that.

That was the plan, to be clear and concise; but as soon she made it to where her family was, her entire resolution crumbled.

First because Roland throwing himself at her caught her completely off guard, enough to disarm her, then it was Rylee flashing her a big sleepy grin as she lay down with a bottle of milk between her tiny little teeth and then Robin, lifting his chin and looking at her right in the eye.

It wasn't the angry glare she expected to receive her, so that right there rocked her a little.

"You want some coffee?" He asked, not the most warmth thing he could have said but far from the big fuck you Regina, you ruined my life she has been fearing.

"Sure." She replied almost tentatively, unsure of what else to do now that she hit a wall when it came to her plan of grabbing the bull by the horns and being direct.

"Mommy, I… I wanna go swim with my papa!"

Looking at the cute dimple smile her son definitely inherited from his father take over his sweet face, Regina put her attention on Roland, a smile gracing her own features despite the circumstances.

They had that power over her, both her children, which was an amazing thing considering she always thought that one, she didn't want to have kids and two, that if she ever did, she would never get emotionally attached to them.

Yet she did, and if something in this world terrified her more than losing Robin, it was losing these two little creatures that came into her life to ground her.

"Swim, did you even eat your breakfast yet?"

Grabbing her face so that he could look at her right in the eye, Roland smiled brightly in that way he knew it worked when it came to convince her of something. "Yeees... Can we go mommy, yes?"

"Hmmm." She hummed, her nose scrunching as she out of instinct sent Robin a sideway glance.

He said nothing though, as he didn't even notice, he just focused on serving her some of the dark liquid she apparently needed so much.

"Why don't you let me have my coffee so that I can think about it, okay?"

"Okay." He said as Regina's planted a kiss on his nose, making him giggle.

"And you." She started to say as she lowered Roland to the blanket, going down on her knees and grabbing her daughter's little toe. "No love for mommy today?"

In response, Rylee let go of her bottle and mumbled something in her own dialect that ended on _too_, so she took a wild guess and assumed she asked if she could go swimming as well.

That right there made Regina twist her lips because… well, it wasn't even ten in the morning so she wasn't sure what to say about that, especially if Robin already promised them taking them there.

They were already in some awkward limbo, so being on different pages when it came to the kids could be lethal.

"Come give me a kiss." She asked the little girl instead as she bent down to hover over her.

Rylee obliged with one of her toothy grins, giving her a big wet kiss that probably left her cheek covered in milk.

"How's that bottle, good?"

Back at drinking her milk, the little blonde nodded, her bright blue eyes shining as she stared at her mother. "Uh hum."

As a response, Regina kissed her daughter's head.

Once that interaction was done, she straightened up to find herself almost eye to eye with Robin and that's when she hesitated about how to proceed.

Now… if this would have been any other morning, she would simply close the distant between them and kiss him; but in that moment, she didn't know if she should. That's why she just limited herself to grab the mug of coffee he was offering.

"Thank you." Wrapping her hands around the warm mug, Regina allowed her lungs to fill up with the addicting aroma of the nectar before taking a sip.

"I promised to take them to the lake for a little while in the morning, because in the afternoon Little John will come by to help me do a few things around here. I hope you don't mind keeping an eye on them then."

Her eyebrow rose, and when she spoke, there was an edgy tone that she didn't quite like. "They are my kids, why would I mind?"

The way Robin pushed the inside of his cheek with his tongue as he fixed his eyes on her was a clear indication that he didn't like the edge in her tone either, so Regina decided to take that moment and just ask…

"Do you want to call it quits?" There, she put it out there, her fingers curling over the mug so hard she was afraid it would break and spill coffee all over

"To Little John coming over? I would if I could because yes, I know we are social distancing, but I can't do this thing I want to do on my own. We'll take precautions…"

"I didn't mean about Little John." She pointed out, her chest feeling even tighter than what she felt it back in the container. "I meant about _us_."

His eyes narrowed, as if he didn't quite understand, but then he let out a dry chuckle while he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand.

He did that for a few seconds, making Regina's level of anxiousness skyrocket.

"What kind of question is that, Regina?"

The brunette shrugged, her mouth parted to respond; but with the blue of his eyes intensely digging in her own stare, no word came out, just a small exhale she couldn't control.

She was on her toes, on edge… part of her waiting for a response but at the same time fearing it with everything that she had.

"Can we swim now?" Roland interrupted, going straight towards his father and half resting over him.

Clearing his throat, Robin took his phone and started going through it. Then, a very feisty children's song began to play out loud and he gave the device to Roland. "Go watch this with Rylee while I talk to mommy, okay?"

"Okay." Obviously delighted over such unusual treat, Roland ran towards her sister.

Regina watched that happen out of the corner of her eye, but all of her attention was on Robin.

As for him? He was scratching down the nape of his neck hard enough to leave a few angry marks on the skin.

"Is that what you want, to call it quits?" He asked, his voice raw but firm.

"No." And God, why did she feel that if he wanted that, that she would end up begging him not to do it?

Sure, she wanted to think she was empowered enough to know she didn't need a man to get through; but this… _he_ wasn't any man, he was Robin and without him she wouldn't know what to do.

It was pathetic and she knew it, but in that moment all she felt like doing was clinging to whatever he would throw at her.

"Then why the bloody hell do you ask something like that?" He hissed and yes, there was a note of anger there.

It made her jaw tense and her eyes remain glued to him, but she said nothing.

"Jesus, Regina."

Taking notice that he never said he wanted out, Regina decided to take that as a string to hold onto and boy, she held on tight.

"Okay… I'm sorry, I… asked, because I am having the impression that you are pretty pissed at me and that just… I mean I know I was a total bitch, but you didn't even come to bed, or even kissed me and-"

"Regina, hey…" He grabbed the mug from her hold and put it aside, then he held her hands in his, holding them tight as his eyes pierced into hers. "You know I love you, okay? but you…"

He stopped there, taking in a deep breath that made her nerves stand on edge because yes, this was it, he was going to kindly tell her to fuck off with the cliché of 'I love you, but I can't be with you' and she couldn't deal with that. Not in front of the kids.

"You need to stop playing with those crazy ideas in that pretty head of yours and go down a notch with the drama."

Blinking one time and then two, the brunette just stared at him, not wanting to jump ahead of herself and misinterpret the meaning of his words.

"I don't want to call it quits, in case you are still wondering."

He clarified and she blew out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. It was as if ten thousand pounds of deadweight was lifted from her shoulders and her immediate reaction was to throw herself at him, her frame slumping against him as he wrapped her in an embrace.

"You scared the fuck out of me." She admitted, not even caring if that made her sound like a sentimentalist idiot.

"Momma, no bad words!"

"I know, I'm sorry, honey." She chuckled, her face hiding into the crook of Robin's neck.

"I swear I have three kids here." Robin mumbled into her hair. Then, he grabbed her face in the same way Roland did earlier so that he could look at her eye to eye.

"So no, I don't want this to end, but Regina, that doesn't mean you are my favorite person in the world right now. I'm not exactly what you would call mad… but still…"

Yes, she knew… he didn't have to elaborate, but wanting to ease the mood a little, she rolled her eyes. "Am I among the first three at least?"

His mouth twisted a little, but the way his eyes sparkled made her feel a hell of a lot better. "I would say you are ranging five right now."

Yeah, well… it could be worse.

"You know, I am not exactly happy with you either, and before you can say anything hear me out. I'm not even that mad that you dragged us here, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way how you planned this whole thing out without even warning me. You didn't even take my input on making this decision."

Dropping his hands from her face, Robin cleared his throat and Regina got ready to listen again to all the reasons why he believed he made the right decision.

"You are right, I'll give you that. I should have told you."

Taken aback, she frowned. So this was it? He was admitting that she was right this time?

"But if you were so upset about it, you should have come straight and told me instead of getting all snarky and cutting with me. I know you hate it here, I'm not blind, but given the circumstances, I thought it was the best for all of us."

"You keep saying that, but not even once have you told me why it was best."

Robin took a moment to look around, the edge of his teeth pinching his bottom lip.

"I saw things back in Milan that scared me a lot, like it really shook me. There were people dying all the time, and not only old people like the news made us believe, but all kinds… dozens upon dozens every day and it is all going to get a lot worse. The thought of you or the kids getting sick was there, true, but I also didn't want you to see or live what I did back there. This thing is going to be everywhere… and I don't know, maybe I was wrong but I wanted to keep you not only safe, but maybe oblivious to it all and what better place than here?"

This time, it was Regina the one who grabbed his face, her thumbs caressing his skin lovingly. "You could have told me that."

Puffing out a breath, he licked his lips. "I didn't want to scare you."

Scoffing, Regina rolled her eyes. "I was already scared. Or do you think I was back home enjoying every second you were out there? I was keeping up with all of what was happening and… I could barely sleep or eat or even think straight when I knew there was a possibility of you never making it back to us…"

Taking in a deep shaky breath, Regina closed her eyes and rested her forehead to his.

She was back to feeling overwhelmed just by remembering all of that and that's not how she wanted to be.

"Hey, I did make it back, okay. I'm here."

"I know, and less than a day after you came back, we were already mad at each other."

"I told you I'm not mad… it was more like being upset. Like I said, I know there are countless places you would rather be than here, so I did… well, I am trying to do everything in my power to make it as comfortable as I can for you. But you just… disregard everything as if it was nothing."

"I'm an asshole… and I don't always appreciate things but…"

Jesus, she didn't want to spend the next few days going in circles over the same thing so opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and blurted out the first thing that came into her mind.

"I don't want to lose you now… I'm looking right at the other half of me. The vacancy that sat in my heart, is a place that now you hold-"

"Are you quoting a Justin Timberlake song to me right now?" Robin asked in a chuckle and despite herself, she smiled.

"It came up in my research of how to properly apologize… I was supposed to sing it but you know, that would have been a little over the top."

Robin laughed heartedly at that, making Regina feel a surge of love sweep through her. "No, I want you to sing it now."

"Only in your dreams."

"I love you, my drama Queen." He kissed her then, a small peck on the lips that even though lingered a little, it wasn't exactly what she needed.

"I love you too, but that was such a shitty kiss."

"Mommy, I said no bad words."

"Oh my God, this kid couldn't be more like you, now could he? He thinks he's my father." Turning around, she faced Roland. "Are you eavesdropping on mommy now?"

Opening his eyes wide when Regina grabbed him, Roland went ahead to giggle. It was how he resolved everything, so wanting to give him more of that, she used her hands the best way she could in those kinds of situations, she started to tickle him.

"No… mom… daddy, help!" He yelled in a fit of laugher as Regina kept going at it.

She did it for a while, but right in the middle of it she felt Robin slide his hands to her ribcage and before she could do anything, she was being tickled.

It made her let go of Roland immediately because well, she was a bit ticklish and Robin knew how to take advantage of that.

"Wait…" She began to say before doubling over, but it was too late, in a matter of nothing she was under his mercy, her back to the blanket and Robin attacking her.

"Sorry babe, you can't do that to my firstborn and expect me to do nothing."

Laughing even if she didn't want to, she tried to search for air. "No… wait…"

As a background to her own laughter, Regina could hear Roland cheering on his dad, but then Rylee was on Robin, hanging from his neck as she demanded him to stop.

"Stop, papa, no!"

The little girl was all serious about it, enough to make Robin desist. "Okay, okay."

"No tickles." Letting go of him, Rylee lifted a finger and waved it no in front of Robin's face, her lips pouting and an angry frown on her face.

"Okay, sorry sweetheart."

Humming indignantly, she rolled her eyes and turned to Regina. "Mommy ok?"

"I'm fine baby, thank you."

Satisfied, she turned around and went to Robin's phone again. It made both her parents laugh, especially when she called Roland and babbled something angrily at him too.

"And that one couldn't be more like you because she isn't bigger."

With her cheeks tingling with how much she was forced to laugh, Regina licked her lips, her last interaction with Robin making her feel more at ease.

They both came clear with how they felt, and in her mind that was the first step to leave whatever misunderstanding there was behind.

It was because of that that she lifted a hand to his face as he rested hovering over her, those blue eyes she loved so much staring deep into hers as she traced the outline of his jaw.

"I love you, you know that, right?"

"I know."

"But you're still an asshole; you know I hate it when you do this tickle thing."

"Yeah? And why do you laugh so much if you hate it?"

Snarling her lips at his logic, she scoffed. "I hate you."

"No you don't." He kissed the tip of her nose, then her cheek and at last the corner of her mouth.

That right there made her crave for more, but when he showed no sign of meaning to go on, she narrowed her eyes.

"Still too mad to kiss me properly?"

Robin clicked his tongue. "I don't know, maybe you'll find out tonight when we put these two little monkeys to sleep."

Like last night when he left her on her own? She wanted to ask, but no… she didn't want to drag out the bitterness.

"Really, you are going to make me wait that long for a kiss?"

"Yes. Now come on, there's some breakfast waiting for you and then, we'll spend some time at the lake. Because don't you think for a second that you'll skip on that one."

Regina rolled her eyes, but she still grabbed Robin's hand when he offered it to help her get up and yes, she also ate what he cooked. Then, when that was done, they all got ready for some family time at the lake.

It was nice, relaxing even; the kids loved it and even though he kept true to his word of making her wait for that kiss, Robin was definitely more than a little touchy-friendly with her.

Especially because underwater it was hard for the kids to look…

"I can make them take a nap now, you know?"

She said at one point when she found herself victim of one of those touches. He was behind her, and his arm had just slipped down her stomach and to her inner thigh.

"Come on babe, look at them. Rylee would get all moody if you even suggest getting out of here and Roland would beg and beg for a little more time. It will take ages to make them doze off."

Humming because he was right, Regina bit on her lips, the feeling of his fingers tracing random patterns so very close to the crotch of her bathing suit making her tremble.

She wanted him, yes, but as it looked like, she would have to wait indeed.

Still, she pushed back against him, her ass pressing to his groin to find out that she was not the only one holding onto a need.

"Well, well, well… what is that, Locksley?"

His hand curled to her thigh, and as a response, she wriggled a little against him, his erection pocking into one of her glutes.

"Well that is all your fault. You are looking all tempting right now… you even smell tempting. How long as it been?" He asked, his teeth nibbling her ear as his free hand went to the lower part of her bathing suit, pushing it to the side so that half her ass ended up exposed.

He pressed himself to that very spot, the asshole, and even though that provoked a liquid warm sensation settle between her legs, she kept her sight glued to the kids playing in the shallow part of the lake.

They were engrossed with the toys Robin brought over, but knowing how unpredictable those two were, she didn't want to risk it.

That's why she decided to tease him in a way that would keep him on his toes but that would make him be less touchy.

"Since either one of us had sex? Well for you, close to three weeks, for me…" She hummed, as if she was actually thinking about it."

"Oh so you are making memory now?"

"I think it was three days ago. The mailman came over and I… was _so_ lonely."

Robin chuckled, not even taking her seriously. But because she wasn't, she didn't even mind.

"The mailman, that old bloke? Was he even capable of making you feel good?"

He asked in a whisper, letting a finger slide pass the fabric of her bathing suit and then using it to part her, the digit looking and then finding her clit to rub over.

Holding down a gasp, Regina breathed out. She didn't want to do this as it could distract her from keeping an eye on the kids but God, it was been so long and she wanted him so much.

"He was sloppy, but guess what? As it turns out, he had me number two on his list of favorite people in the world."

Chuckling, Robin kissed down her neck, his finger working in circles on her sex, making her burn.

"And did he kiss you properly, like you want me to kiss you?"

Parting her legs a bit more, Regina threw her head against his shoulder. "No… I didn't let him kiss me. I respect you too much for that."

For some reason, that made him laugh. "Okay, I see… and what did you let him do?"

She shrugged, a smirk forming on her lips because the more she messed with him, the hotter his touched turned. He was now using his whole hand on her, his palm creating a nice friction over her clit while the tip of his finger circled her entrance.

"We just fucked."

"So he put it on you, like this?" He pushed his finger into her, all of it and fuck, she basically had to bite her tongue hard.

The kids were there, less than ten feet away, so she fought hard to get a grip.

"Robin..."

"Did he make you cum?"

Closing her eyes for three seconds, Regina opened her mouth to tell him to leave their little games for later, but instead of doing that, she pressed a bit more. "No, only you can make me cum."

"Good. I mean I was about to become a tad jealous." He said, pulling his hand away and then submerging underwater for a few seconds.

When he came back to the surface, he was closer to the kids but with his eyes on her. He sent her a wink that way, his dimples on full display.

Thinking that he would be more than a little jealous if he would have believed all the crap she said, as Robin, despite his easy-going nature was quite possessive, Regina grinned.

"Talking about being jealous." She began to say, accommodating her bathing suit so that she could make it towards him and the kids. "Marian was here yesterday."

He groaned, his eyes rolling. He was now resting on his elbows, and to be closer, she came to lay completely over him, using the water as cover once again. "What did she want now?"

Kissing his chin, she hummed. "The usual, she wanted to remind me how you were hers before you even laid eyes on me and all that crap. Bah. I told her you couldn't stand her anymore and that if I ever see her here, I would beat her..." She eyed Roland, who was very close now. He was still playing with Rylee, but just in case, she changed the word she was going to say. "Her behind."

"Really?"

"Well not exactly; but I will you know… and yes, I know her life must be miserable knowing she screwed up big time with you, but it's time she understands that you are all mine now."

"Jesus, babe, seeing you get all riled up like that over me kind of makes me want to promote you to number four in my list."

"Number four? Meh, who's number three. I mean one and two are Roland and Rylee, I assume, but who is number three?"

"Easy, Little John."

"Oh really, well go and see if Little John will kiss you tonight." With that said, she tried to move away from him, but before she could, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Come here, you silly." Pulling her up, he pressed his mouth to hers.

Now, the kiss was nothing rushed and nothing intense, it actually progressed slowly. First, they shared a few open mouthed kisses as his arm circled her waist to pull her closer and then before she could put her own hands into use, his tongue was brushing against her lips.

He left it there though, probably because of the kids… which she completely understood. "But talking about Little John, he will come by in a few minutes so let me go and prepare a few things. He will help me work on something that will probably make him be number one in your own list. Just so you know."

"Is that so?" She asked, curious.

"Yes, it will take a few days to complete… but you'll see."

When he was gone to meet his childhood friend, Regina rolled to her back, her eyes set on the sky above, so impossibly blue that it left her breathless.

"Roland." She said, just because he was closer.

"Yeah?" He came to her, his face getting in the way.

"I love you, so, so much."

"I love you." He repeated, grinning.

"Me?" Rylee butted in, dragging herself to her and the grabbing her chin. "Me too?"

"You too, I love you from here to the sun and then beyond?"

"And daddy?"

"Yes, and daddy." She replied, for some reason loving the connection she had with both kids.

That was something she never had with her own mother as she couldn't remember a single time the woman told her she loved her…

Shaking those thoughts off her system and hoping both Cora and her father had enough sense to keep themselves isolated in those trying times, Regina pulled kids into a hug.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, she kept the toddlers in the lake until it was time for lunch and then out they all went.

She cooked, fed everybody, including Robin and Little John as they worked their secret project and then went on with her day.

When Robin finally finished, it was late. The kids were bathed, dined and sleepy and to be honest, so was her.

What could she say? She had a restless night and a long day and by then it was dark, the sounds of a night in the woods already taking over.

It was a bit creepy, but snuggling against her husband gave her a sense of inner peace she wouldn't have achieved otherwise.

Robin looked equally tired, that was why after a shower and grabbing a bite, he also laid down with them over the blanket.

"I forgot about my parents; I haven't even called them. Does that make me awful?"

"Have they called you?"

"No." She answered, because well… they haven't. Last she heard of them was when Cora called around the time Rylee turned one, letting her now they were going to visit and stay with them for a few weeks.

Regina's answer have been a rotund no. She could book them a hotel nearby or whatever, but they couldn't stay at her house.

There was not enough room and quite honestly, she didn't want her there. Not that she said it like that, obviously, but still Cora threw a hissy fit and told her to forget it.

They came to London, but her mother simply refused to even visit, and the only thing she knew of them was when her father snuck away from Cora to see her and the kids.

After that, nothing.

"You are not awful, you are amazing… the most stubborn but amazing person I've ever known. Smart, beautiful… funny in an awkward but so very unique way…"

Smiling, Regina lifted her chin to him. "Mmm keep going, what else?"

"You are also bloody dramatic, impulsive and a bit of a pessimistic and…"

"No, just say the nice things."

Robin laughed, kissing her forehead.

After that, the conversation went light, and so was the way he ran his fingers through her hair, lulling her in the same way he did with the little girl who fell asleep on his chest.

"I'll put them to bed." He said when Regina began to doze off. He took them one by one, and when he came back, it was with a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand.

"You want to get me drunk?" She asked, her eyes a bit heavy as she watched him pour her a glass.

"If I wanted that, I would have brought some whiskey. You and I both how little tolerance you have for it."

"Shut up." She sat up and took the glass from his hand, nearing it to her lips and swallowing down in two gulps.

Arching an eyebrow, Robin eyed her down. "And that's why it goes to your head so quick. You don't know how to drink."

She waved the empty glass in front of him, wanting a refill. "If you expect me to suffer the next few weeks completely sober, then you are clearly…"

Before she could finish talking, Robin cradled the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her.

It was quick and it took her by surprise, because in a matter of nothing, his tongue was in her mouth, dancing against hers as his hands moved down to her hips.

She knelt, lifting a little against him. It felt amazing, enough to make her shiver in anticipation of what would come next, so to get the most of it, she pushed against him, the glass slipping from her grip as she slid her hands up his hair.

"Is this how you wanted me to kiss you?" He mumbled against her mouth, his hands moving underneath her dress to settle on her ass.

"I don't know, do it again so I can make sure."

He did, and yes, it was how she wanted it, the sensation in the pit of her stomach as his fingers ran against the edge of her panties making her hot and bothered.

Actually, what he was making her feel was so intense that she had to hum against his mouth in appreciation.

As a response he kissed her deeper, pulling her to him until he was sitting, taking her down with him. She ended up straddling him, her hands reaching for his shirt to take it off.

Once tossed aside, she pressed to his mouth again, tilting her head to the left to change the angle of the kiss. It was like that, that she moved her hands to his chest, and when her hips grinded against his so that she could find the undeniable proof that he was enjoying the moment as much as she was, he actually pulled from the kiss and hissed.

"I missed you. Every single day…" He said, his voice low and raspy.

"I missed you too."

"Enough to sing that song to me now?"

It took Regina a second to understand what he meant, but when she did, she snorted. "Let's not mention that song ever again, okay."

"Alright." But as soon as be said that, he started to hum the melody.

"Hey…"

Smirking and staring at her with a hint of lust in his eyes, he bit the corner of his lips, both his hands fully grabbing the flesh of her ass to pull her roughly against him.

The movement made his erection push hard against her sex and even though they were both wearing clothes, the contact send a shiver down her spine that made her arch against him and moan.

Capturing her lips back with his again, Robin kissed her harder, his hands moving from where they had been to slide everywhere they could. He let his fingers move all over, up her spine and over her shoulders, they went into her hair and he even helped himself to her breast.

It was all happening too fast even though she wanted to take some time to drink slowly on it, but even when half her brain was yelling at her to take a moment enjoy it, the other half was encouraging her to keep things going.

It was this later half the one she was actually listening to, the one that made no protest when he grabbed for her panties and pulled them to the side, exposing her to him.

"I want you now."

She wanted him too; she wanted him to take care of the ache between her legs and by the way things were going, she knew that would be no problem.

So, wanting to feel it all, she rotated her hips against him, her lips back on his as she put her own hands into use.

It made her hum, because with her privates exposed she could feel his hardness against her flesh, the fabric of his sweatpants feeling too rough as it brushed to her.

"I want you too-" She began to say after breaking from the lip lock and it sounded more like a plead than anything else. But she didn't say anything, she just opened her eyes and looked around.

Not that she had much time to keep checking, because as her eyes squinted a little to get a better look into the woods, she felt it, the contact of skin against skin as he liberated his erection from his pants so it could spring free against her.

Putting her attention back to him, Regina clung to his neck as he accommodated her in such a way that he could push into her with a single thrust, his engorged member making way inside of her until it was completely settled.

The invasion made her gasp into his ear and without exchanging a word they began to move against each other.

It felt amazing, how he was filling her up, how he searched for her mouth to kiss long and deep and how his hands on her felt like little bolts of electricity making her tremble all over.

Then it was the way she was melting against him as he moved within her, how he burnt her groin in the most delicious way with every single thrust…

"You feel so good, babe."

"You too, ooh… you'll make me cum if you keep like that."

"Yeah? Tell me how you want it then, tell me how to make you cum on my cock."

She took in a deep breath, her eyes on him. "Just… keep like that, deep and hard."

Grabbing her, he lifted up and swirled her around, pressing her to the blanket and resting over her.

"Let me take your panties off." He said, his weight between her legs too good to give it up.

"No, don't you dare pulling out. I'll kill you. Rip if off if you must but don't pull out."

Sucking in a breath, Robin lifted her dress and looked down to where they were joined. "Oh you're going to kill me for this too but fuck it."

With that said and without pulling out, he tore the fabric a little, enough to give her room to spread even more for him. It also completely exposed her sex to him, which was what he apparently wanted.

So with that done, he pulled closer over her and kissing her anew, he went back to thrusting into her, going so deep she was sure he was hitting her womb.

It was delicious, his skin on hers, the friction of him over her clit, his tongue warm and demanding…

"Oh my… oh Robin…"

She came undone soon enough, her mouth open and breathing hard pressed to his but without kissing him. He held her through the high of her passion though, pressing several kisses to her mouth whenever she would moan a little too loud. All of it, as he kept moving into her.

"Shit… aaah." She hissed as he kept on.

"Was that good, uh?"

"Yes… oh yes… it was." She puffed out a breath, one of her legs lifting over his hips.

He grabbed it, pulling it even higher, the angle making him go even deeper.

"I love making you cum… makes me lose it, babe."

"Then make me feel it, let me feel you cum inside of me."

With the intensity of it all, it didn't take long for him to reach the brims of his own passion. She knew because he became erratic on his movements and because he let out a growl so low on his throat that it put all her senses on edge. By the time he came, shooting up deep into her and pressing her hard to him, she was breathless and spent.

For several seconds that seemed to drag into an eternity, they remained like that, without speaking and without moving, he just kissed her jaw, her nose, her neck.

He did that while he was still inside of her, the weight of him a welcome feeling as she stared at the immense night sky above them.

"This view is stunning."

Kissing her shoulder, he rolled to her side, looking up as well. "Yes it is. It's humbling too. With everything that's going on, looking at the stars is the only thing that helped me sleep last night. We should do it tonight, sleep here."

Snorting, she leered at him. "Are you out of your mind?"

"If we leave the sliding door open, we could hear if the kids wake up. Meanwhile, I'll make it worth your while..." As if to make her see he wasn't kidding, Robin sneaked a hand into her dress, his palm curving over her breast.

He played with her a little before pulling the fabric down, exposing her to the night. Then, he was on her, his tongue sliding flat over her nipple as she ran her fingers through his scalp.

She let him do that, her mouth curving as she stared in awe at all the stars…

Robin… the panorama in front of her was entrancing, but what really convinced her to give it up was him. This was something she was forever bounded to repeat, fall for him through every step of their journey.

That was how she ended up spending the night out there, her mind completely oblivious for the moment, that not only they were creating memories, but also, a new life inside of her…

FiN


	32. Chapter 32

There was something incredibly sexy about Robin wearing his reading glasses while he worked so diligently on his MacBook that was making Regina feel all hot and bothered.

It was crazy, at least considering the scenario wasn't exactly favorable to start feeling like that; not only because he was working, but also because by all rights, her body shouldn't even be behaving in such ways; but the thing was that she _was_ _feeling_ it.

One look his way and she was suddenly on edge, woken up, every fiber of her being high and on alert...

Now, she wasn't exactly sure how that came to happen, how her entire body started to tingle with need instead of feeling shitty as if often happened so near that time of the month, but there was a strong pull right there, one that was making her lurk around, stealing glances his way and biting her lips while her mind sunk deeper and deeper into the gutter.

What could she say? There was a _je ne sais quoi_ about how he looked in that moment that had her libido getting a bit out of control. Be it the way the shirt he had on outlined his perfect toned arms and chest, how he kept patting a finger to his lips without even knowing it, or how his hair was all tousled, giving him a careless touch she quite liked; it was one of those… or maybe, it was all that plus the glasses.

Whatever it was, Regina was definitely feeling more than a little flustered.

It was…God, she didn't even know how to explain it, but it felt as if a fire was starting to burn low in her belly, extending little by little everywhere and thus making her react to the heat.

In other words, it was completely turning her on to see him like that.

"You are such a DILTF." Narrowing her eyes and keeping her voice low not to wake up the kids, the brunette woman said after a while, her hand casually resting to her hip as her husband absentmindedly lifted his head to look at her.

"A what?" Arching an eyebrow, Robin flashed her way that heart-melting dimple smirk she loved so much, but before she could soak in the electrifying sensation that ran up her spine the moment their eyes linked, he was back at paying attention to his work… and apparently, to another person.

"Yeah, sorry… that was Regina, what were you saying again?"

Blinking a couple of times as Robin focused back to what appeared to be an online meeting, the brown-eyed woman snarled her lips because yes, she didn't have to ask to know who was Robin talking to.

Mary Margaret Nolan. Ugh…

She knew because ever since the quarantine started, those two have been meeting through _Teams_ at least twice a week and unfortunately, that night was apparently one of those nights.

Now yes, she understood the nature of such video calls as Mary Margaret and David were now working in California to expand their company's brand, and with Robin being in charge of all aspects of business outside of London, he had to work closely with them; but in that moment and in that night, she wanted her man free and in bed with her, not chit-chatting with Mary freaking Margaret.

"Come to bed." She said, her voice a bit throatier than what she intended for.

It was okay though, if she sounded needy… it was alright, because she _was_ needy, and he probably didn't know it, but she wanted to have one last go at him before her wretched period would come.

Not that it mattered, because for all her needs, Robin only lifted a hand indicating her to wait a minute.

She did, shifting the weight of her body to her left leg as Robin kept on with the meeting.

One minute, probably two.

"Robin…"

At this second call, he at least looked up, but even though his eyes were on her, his attention was entirely somewhere else.

He apparently wasn't even aware that she has changed into one of his shirts… which always made him turn into full playful mode…

Well, not that time.

"Wow, I think crazy is a little bit of an understatement, you know?" He said, but that was obviously intended for the woman who still considered herself as her step-daughter and yes, Regina had to admit that it irked her a little bit.

He was just not paying any kind of attention to her. Zero, nothing, nada, zilch… and as it always happened whenever he made her suffer such levels of neglect, she was starting to feel a bit irritated.

Just a little bit though, mind you, because as much as she wanted to be fully annoyed by the lack of attention he was giving her, she couldn't actually be too mad at him.

Not when he was looking so damn fine.

Sighing as she realized her libido just defeated her potential sour mood, Regina bit lightly on her lips as she decided to take another route when it came to catching the man's attention.

It was easy, she was the kind of person who always went for what she wanted so she did, walking to him and sitting directly by his side.

Once there and with their knees bumping together, her hand reached for his inner thigh, holding her touch there for a second before letting her fingers trace a path all the way to his crotch.

When she found what she was looking for, she took a nice hold of him.

That movement right there made Robin jump a little, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw how he immediately straightened his posture the moment she started to stroke him… her fingers securely wrapped around the bulge hiding underneath the fabric of his sweatpants as he little by little started to stand on attention.

As she did that, there was a low humming sound coming out of him that edged between a gasp and a chuckle that she quite liked so yes, plain and simple, his reaction made her smirk a little; because just as she wanted it, she now had his full attention.

Now, being there, also allowed her to have a better perspective of what he has been doing and much as she suspected, it was Mary Margaret the one she saw through Robin's MacBook screen.

"Oh hey, Regina." The other woman said a bit too enthusiastically, and forcing her smile to remain plastered on her face, she reciprocated the greeting.

"Hey…"

Now yes, even if she has learned to stomach the woman through the years, the words came out half heartfelt; not because she was annoyed, but because her mind was set on the way Robin was stirring to life under her ministrations and right in that moment, that was way more interesting than MM.

It was just an amazing powerful thing that made her desire soar, because for someone who has been basically ignoring her a minute ago, he was now getting harder and harder for her.

It was encouraging, so taking a quick glance his way to meet with the half-amused, half-lusty glint of his eyes, she held him firmly in her grasp, massaging the length of his thick shaft as she herself started to feel even more heated…

"It's so good to finally see your face. I mean I even asked about you earlier on, when you were putting the kids to bed; but anyway, how is quarantine going for you over there?"

Leaning a bit forward but never taking her hand from Robin's now full erection, Regina shrugged, as that was apparently the question of the year. How was quarantine going for her?

Granny asked, Ruby too, Little John… even Gold sent her an email to check if she was going through it completely sane… which she was. Unbelievable as it could sound, she was coping relatively good.

Of course, that was thanks to Robin, as he had the brilliant idea and even better initiative of expanding their accommodations into a bigger place that could house them a bit more comfortably and what was better, he added a functioning bathroom that included a toilet.

It was amazing, actually, and if it wasn't because it would affect negatively on her image and resolution, she would go ahead and admit that she was kind of enjoying the secluded time she was spending with her family.

"What can I say? Same shit different day. After three weeks of the same, it all just starts to blend together."

As if she just said the world's funniest joke, Mary Margaret laughed. "Well Robin gave David and I a virtual tour and I wouldn't say you are having it bad. I'm even jealous… the place looks amazing and the views are out of this world! Like you have a whole lake for yourselves and then that nice outdoor setting. When David and-"

Shutting the woman and whatever nonsense she was talking about now out of her mind, Regina looked back at Robin. He was leaning back against the couch, half a smirk displayed on his lips while his eyes were intently set on her through his glasses.

It was hot, watching him watch her as she continued to stroke him… so hot that she wanted nothing more than to push the MacBook away, climb over him and just ride him for all she was worth it.

By the look he was giving her, she would say that yes, he would go for it and for some reason, the promise of what was to come made her shiver.

It also made her feel all giddy, excited and more than a little turned on, and it was all him the one who was making her feel like that.

That was the thing with Robin, she was aware that for most couples, time and a pair of kids provoked a huge decline in the quality of their sex life; things would just fizzle and get dull and repetitive and she guessed that was normal. But between them, that never seemed to be a problem.

What could she say? He was great at picking on her moods, as if they were on sync, and that was an amazing thing to a great sex life.

He knew when she wanted it hard and fast, he could read out of her when she needed the stimulus and would without a problem drag them into a trance of really slow kissing that would eventually make her blood boil and yes, he just about knew when she was feeling all frisky and ready to play.

Those were the times he would try anything and everything on the book. From tying and blindfolding each other, to using all kinds of oils and massages and sure, to those sporadic times she would let him fuck her in a _non traditional_ way.

They've also filmed themselves to later watch, they have experimented with all types of positions and there has also been a few risqué quickies or blowjobs in places that would definitely get them arrested if caught. Obviously, they have also used all kinds of toys and costumes to get it going, from vibrators to cock rings and whatever tickled their feathers in any particular moment.

Overall, he knew how to work her and how to push all her right bottoms, and she was sure he was not going to disappoint that night.

"That all sound's great." She said even if she had no idea what the hell has the woman been saying. Still, she tore her eyes from her husband so that she could take one last look at her. "And I would love to hear more of it, but it's kind of late on this side of the world so I'm going to bed. Kisses to Neal."

"Oh ok, bye."

With that said, Regina let go of Robin and without a look back, she got to her feet and headed into the small kitchen area. Her intention? Getting a bottle of wine and then wait for him in bed, probably naked and who knew? maybe even playing by herself already.

What could she say? She was feeling particularly playful that night… a bit edgy, and considering she was going to be _unavailable_ for a few days probably from the following day on, she wanted to make the best of it.

Besides, she could just imagine Robin's surprise if he walked in on her touching herself and if anything, that made her feel a little more eager.

That was what she was thinking about when she suddenly felt her husband's arms wrap around her middle. He pulled her closer to him that way, his mouth immediately landing on that sweet spot in the back of her neck that always turned her on if treated right.

"Mmm, you done with the meeting?" She hummed, her hands automatically coming to rest over his forearms and her ass wriggling a little so that she could feel how hard he still was for her.

"_You_… are an evil woman, Mrs. Locksley."

Enjoying the low undertones of his voice as his fingers moved underneath the shirt she had on so that he could reach for her panties to pull down on them, Regina threw her head back against his shoulder.

"You are the evil one… ignoring me like that when I want you so, so much."

He chuckled in her ear, her underwear already down to her knees. "You do, uh? That's why you decided to be all over me when I was on a video call with Mary Margaret of all people?"

There was a hint of reproach in his voice, but if he was mad, he covered it very well by moving his hand to that spot between her legs that was aching with need.

Once there, he used one digit to part her, his fingertip dragging from slit to clit so that he could spread her wetness all over.

His touch was like liquid fire, so hot and mind blowing that it made her suck in a breath, her legs spreading so that he could touch her right; and God, did he ever… one flick, then two and her legs already felt like rubber.

"I told you, you were ignoring me… and I hate when you do that."

Keeping his tantalizing touch, Robin bit on her earlobe. "Babe, I was barely starting to work when you walked in here, and you know I love to every second I get to see your face… but you need to understand I have other things to do as well."

Despite the amazing things he was making her feel, Regina groaned. "Are you going to fuck me or you just came to scold me? Because I have time for one and trust me, it's not for the lecture."

"Now this is a whole new mood right here; you're cranky but also randy?" He snorted, but instead of being thrown off as he very well should, he used his free hand to pull down on his sweatpants. Once out of the way, he made her lean against the counter and lining himself up, he rubbed the tip of his erection to her entrance and then against the small bundle of nerves between her folds. "Is that how it is?"

Trembling in anticipation, Regina closed her eyes. He wasn't quite in yet and was just letting his dick slide against her heat, but the promise that he would be soon was enough to make her breath catch in her throat. "I'm not cranky… I just… I want you so much, I need to feel you… so please stop being a jerk and fuck me."

Placing a hand to her lower back, Robin blew out a breath. "Shit babe, you make it sound like you want it very bad."

"I do… I really do."

Not having to be told again, Robin took off his shirt and hers and then he gave her what she wanted, he swiftly pushed into her until he was settled all the way in.

"Like this, is this how you want it?" He hissed, holding her hips in place.

"Mmh. Yeah…"

And yes, if felt heavenly enough to make her eyes roll, the way he stretched her and filled her making her feel as if she was burning inside out. It was just amazing, so before she could help it, there was a throaty loud moan rolling from her tongue.

"Oh my God, Robin."

Pressing his mouth to her shoulder and then moving along so that he could suck a kiss to her pulse point, Robin hissed. "You'll need to be quiet… the kids."

"I know…" And she did, but when he started to move into her, she simply couldn't help it. There was a moan, and then another, and as he started to go deeper and a bit faster, she just had to bite hard on her tongue to keep quiet.

It was to no vail, as she was for some reason not really in control.

As for Robin? For all his talk to keep it down, he was not helping matters, not with one of his hand fondling her breast and pinching on her nipple as he fucked her nice and steady.

"You like it?"

Ah… what a question, she loved it. They way every inch of him kept thrusting into her over and over again was making her entire body vibrate. It was so, so good, that she was sure she would have come already if it wasn't because she was concentrating so hard in trying to get a hold of herself.

"Yes… feels so good… oh, I love your cock in me… so don't stop."

"I won't… shit, I love seeing you like this, so into it." Refusing to slow down, Robin moved a hand to her clit and started to manipulate her at his will. "Let's see how many times I can get you to cum for me."

Opening her mouth to breath out, Regina pressed her forehead to the counter. By then, Robin had picked up a rhythm that was sending all kinds of tremors to her lower stomach, her entire skin burning with the force of her desire.

It was just insane, but the way he was touching her and reaching so deep was making the pressure build and build until it just burst.

"Oh, fuck-fuck-" She came just like that, and from then on, it was all a daze…

She was barely aware that he basically had to cover her mouth with the palm of his hand to muffle her moans, as she was too deep into sensation to take notice.

She only came back a little into herself when he pulled out and made her turn to him, his mouth searching for hers to kiss as he lifted her up.

"Jesus, Regina, I think you woke everybody up, from the kids to Granny all the way to the big house."

Knowing that if the kids would have been woken up, they would already be calling for them, Regina wrapped her legs around his hips and laughed in satisfaction, throwing her head back a little and her eyes closing.

"Oh my God that was amazing… I don't think I can feel my legs right now."

Humming, Robin's hands moved to her ass, holding her to him. "Well, I am glad you quite enjoyed that, but I think we better finish this somewhere we don't end up traumatizing the kids, yes?"

"Mmm, whatever you want." She said lazily, a bit let down that he wasn't wearing his glasses but glad when he helped himself into her once again.

She loved it, being filled by him while being half suspended in the air was yet another one of the things that turned her on, so wrapping her arms around his neck, she began to kiss him, her tongue sliding hotly against his as he started to push in and out of her.

Deep into sensation, she only realized he was taking things outside of the small house when he adjusted his grip on her, groaning a little and thus making her eyes open.

"Robin…"

"Shh, you said whatever I wanted."

"Well I agreed because I wasn't aware that having my ass hang bare in the open was up for takes."

Laughing a raspy laugh, Robin kissed her lips. "I thought we already came to the agreement that this ass is mine to do as I please and right now, I want it hanging bare in my hands out here."

She meant to roll her eyes, but he picked that moment to push as deep as he could into her and the only thing she was able to do was moan out loud.

"If you drop me, I'll kill you."

"You know I won't."

With that said, he grabbed harder onto her and kissing her long and deep, he started to thrusts into her very core.

Now, the angle was letting him reach so deep into her that she could swear he was reaching all the way to the back of her throat. It was intense, it made her feel filled, wanton and for some reason so powerful that she could barely have enough. But then, she unlocked her legs from around him, letting them hang loose by his sides and something out of the position did it for her.

It came unexpectedly, wave after wave rippling deliciously through her until she was a trashing mess against him; kissing him hard, her nails digging into his shoulders as the force of her orgasm washed over her.

And all the while, Robin never stopped driving into her, his hands full of her flesh as he slammed her to him. "That's it babe, enjoy it."

She did, oh… she really did, she didn't even mind when he got them into the lake and lowered themselves down to it.

Quite the contrary, as soon as he was sitting and she ended up straddling him, she pushed herself flushed against him and after making sure their lips were touching and their tongues dancing, she started to ride him hard and fast.

Yes, there were little pebbles incrusting on her knees and the combination of the cold water and the chilly breeze was a little distracting; but at the same time, the way his fingers sunk into the generous flesh of her ass as he kissed her hard enough to make her feel breathless was simply making up for it.

It was amazing, not only on a physical aspect, but also in the way he made her soul catch on fire…

"I'm gonna have to pull out soon." He panted, ending the kiss as his hand moved so that one of his fingers could venture between her ass-cheeks, touching, probing, teasing.

Regina let him do it, knowing by then how he loved playing with her like that. "Don't, I want to feel you finish inside." Yes, there was that and there was also the fact that she was so very close to reaching a third orgasm…

She was sure having him cum in her would do the trick, as she was such a sucker for that. It was… oh, the way he would lose all composure as he emptied deep into her core a thing that never failed to make her feel whole.

Sucking into a deep breath, he added a bit of pressure into his touch, the tip of his finger almost breaking into her. "If we keep like this, you're going to end up pregnant."

Yeah, he wished. "I won't… I'm actually about to get that once a month visit so no, you won't get me pregnant when you fill me good now. So you will, right? Cuz I want it so bad, Robin, please."

Groaning, he kissed her hard, one hand going into her hair and the other one staying in place; his finger finally sinking into her and filling her in all imaginable ways.

As he did his thing, Regina held onto him, her arms around his neck as her tongue moved along with his.

It was good, it made her feel delirious, it made her want to moan, and scream and call his name over and over again as they desperately aimed for their union to go deeper, stronger. She could even break right there, and she wouldn't mind because he felt so damn good.

"Mmm, I love it… you feel so good I could cum again."

Robin didn't respond, he just huffed, his face a mask of pure concentration that made Regina's inner walls contact around him. He looked to die for, his eyes dark and fiery, his cheeks flushed and his lips parted and inviting ready to claim.

She did, her tongue looking for his inside his mouth and then kissing him deep. All the while, she kept riding him, and she did so until she felt him explode into her and she also came apart in his arms.

Swept into the moment, they ended up panting, their breathings hard and fast as the nightly breeze moved around them.

"That was… wow." He said after a while of just holding onto one another.

"I know, I'm shaking… and my legs… can't even feel them." What she could feel was her heart hammering so very hard into her chest that in hurt. It was a bit insane, so slumping against him she just chuckled. "You'll have to carry me back inside."

Patting her ass, Robin kissed her briefly. "As if you would let me do that, you would rather drag yourself back in there than letting me carry you."

Puffing out a breath, her eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? I let you carry me out."

"Because my cock was deep into you and you would have hated me if I took it out."

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes, but when he kissed her, she immediately kissed him back.

"I love you. Have I told you that today?" He asked, an easy smile on his lips.

Running her fingers into his hair, she arched and eyebrow. "Yes, but you can say it again."

"I love you."

"And I love you."

After a bit more kissing, they cleaned up in the lake and then they made it back into the house, Robin carrying her bride style as she tried not to giggle at how ridiculous he was being.

Once in, she threw a robe over her naked frame and checked on the kids, relieved when she corroborated that they were safe and still sleeping.

"You want some rosé?" He offered and despite her craving for wine earlier on, she declined. "No, I'm beat up, better save if for another day."

After saying that, she made it into the bathroom to clean properly. It was as she did that, that she saw a small spot indicating her period was there. "Fuck." She complained because yes, she has been expecting it, but that didn't mean she liked the whole process of it.

It was the reason why she would rather have the injection and not the pill as birth control, because she hated having her period.

But it was how it was, and until she could make the switch, she would have to bear.

Sighing, she searched for a pad, swallowed two pain killers to prevent any discomfort and went to bed.

"Don't talk to me, I just got my period."

Robin, who was in bed already, sat up. "You alright, want me to rub your back?"

Humming, Regina climbed in bed and laid on her side. "That's lovely but it's okay… I'm surprisingly not feeling shitty. Wouldn't have even noticed if it wasn't because I had to use the bathroom."

"Oh."

"Will probably need the back rub tomorrow, if you don't mind."

Kissing her check and wrapping an arm around her, Robin laid down with her. "It's no bother."

"How are you so perfect?" Turning around, she kissed him, her hand caressing his cheek as she stared deep into his eyes.

"Well, I'm British so it comes with the package."

Snorting, Regina closed her eyes and snuggled against him.

That was the last thing she recalled doing, as she fell asleep as soon as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

When she woke up, several hours later, it was still dark and she was all tangled in Robin's arms. Five twenty in the morning, according to the clock and yes, as what to be expected, Robin was fast asleep.

Rubbing her tired eyes, Regina got to her feet, her first mission checking the kids. When that was done, she went to brush her teeth and get ready for her daily-quarantine routine.

A run outside, a shower, coffee and then waiting for her babies to wake up. Robin always slept until later, but once he was up, they would go from there.

Maybe that day they could set the kiddies pool Robin got, or maybe they could have the kids video chat with Granny… who knew?

Unfortunately, all the plans she had for the day went down the drain because when she went to use the bathroom, she noticed her pad…

She has forgotten all about it or even about her period, but now that it got her attention, her mind started speeding, going a million miles per second and with no intention to stop.

What could she say? It took one look for her to notice the pad was as clean as the moment she put it on and that right there made her freeze, her heart stopping for ten whole seconds before it started to beat with renewed force.

"No…" She whispered. No because she had this happening before… "No-"

Blowing out a breath, she wiped and checked and tried to concentrate long enough to find any hidden symptom of her period. There were none, no cramps, or bloating, not that pressure in her lower back that usually bothered her so much and definitely no blood.

Only that small spot she saw the previous night, the one that was very similar to the spotting she got when she was pregnant with Rylee.

Hell, she even got a weird '_period'_ with Roland so yeah…

"Shit."

Grabbing for her hair and feeling a huge pressure settle deep in her chest, the brunette woman closed her eyes, trying to think. She was on the pill, so this shouldn't be happening, right?

Sure, she missed a couple when Robin was stuck in Italy and her mind was a mess, but that was a long shot for her to get pregnant… unless it happened that first time they were together when he came back.

Letting a sob roll off her tongue, Regina let her hands drag down her face, because no, she didn't want to believe it, she wanted to be in denial… but her gut was telling her what her brain was refusing to assimilate.

She was so fucking pregnant.

There the reason why she has been in such a frenzy the night before, because her hormones were already doing whatever the hell they wanted with her.

Yes, it was clear as day, she was going to have another baby… another pregnancy… and all because of Robin.

Clenching her jaw as hard as she could, she finished with her bathroom business and then marched out, heading straight into the bedroom were her fucking husband was sleeping with not a single worry in the world.

It pissed her off, because even if this was all his fault, she was going to be the one carrying the consequences of his lack of control.

Groaning, she grabbed a pillow, lifted it up until it was way above her head and then she hit him with all her force. Unfortunately, it was just a pillow so the impact barely made him open his eyes into slits and frown.

Furious, she did it again, hitting him again, this time on his face.

"What the fuck, Regina?"

Widening her eyes, the brunette threw the pillow away and lowered down to get in his face. "What the fuck? I'll tell you what the fuck, _you_, got me fucking pregnant again. After I repeatedly told you I didn't want more kids!"

For a moment, he looked lost, but then a small smile broke out of his lips and his eyes shone a bit brighter… the asshole. "Wait… are you pregnant?"

Pissed off by the smile he was now flashing, Regina tried to reach for another pillow to hit him again; but before she could, he sat and grabbed for both her hands.

"Okay, let's calm a little so I can understand what the bloody hell is going on, alright? Because I'm still half asleep and all the way lost."

Taking in a deep breath that was supposed to be calming, Regina told him, step by step. At the end, he was pressing a hand to his lips as he amusedly stared at her.

"Okay… well, it can be a scare, right? I mean, isn't it a bit early for you to make assumptions? You haven't even missed your period. It could… I don't know, come any minute now."

For several seconds, Regina stared at Robin without blinking. "You mean to say I don't know my own body? Because I do, and I know when something is off and this… this is way off."

"I was just saying-"

"Have you been pregnant, or do you have an uterus, uh? Have you lived more than half your life dealing with periods? Because if you haven't, then don't talk nonsense to me, okay?"

Gasping, Robin threw his hands in the air and then let them fall, his lips pursing and his eyebrows arching. "Well okay, so you're pregnant… fine, why do you act like that's so bad?"

This time, it was Regina the one that gasped. "Why what… are you even listening to yourself? You knew I was done with having kids, why? Because I am not a reproducing machine; two were enough for me and you knew it."

Snorting, Robin did a double take. "You know what? I don't think we should pin this is all on me, I mean... you were a very willingly participant, as far as I remember."

"Oh I'm pining it all on you because it was your _thing_ the one that did this. Have you heard of the term pulling out?"

Licking his lips, the blue-eyed man ran a hand down his face. "Yes, but your _thang_ is always happy to have my _thing_ in it and even encourages it to finish there. Take last night for example, _I_ was going to pull out but you wanted me to cum inside, you even asked me for it."

Snarling her lips, Regina pointed a finger to his chest. "First of all, what happened last night and what I wanted then has no relevance here, second… if I ask you to jump off a bridge, would you do it? Robin… I think we both know I'm not the reliable one in this relationship when it comes to making decisions in the spur of the moment so you should have like… not listened to me?"

And really, he was supposed to be her counterpart, the reasonable one and that couldn't happen if he listened to her every whim.

"Okay, look." Grabbing for her face and resting a hand to her cheek, Robin cleared his throat. He looked composed, calmed and that right there made her breathe a little easier.

He has always had that on her, making her lower her revolutions just by a touch or a look of those amazing blue eyes of his.

"Having another child is not a bad thing, it's actually amazing… so I don't know… can we be happy instead of arguing?"

"I'm not arguing. I'm just stating a fact here. You got me pregnant even when you knew it wasn't what I wanted."

Dropping his hand from her face, Robin sighed. "Alright, I'm not going to argue with you, Regina, so if you want to blame it all on me fine."

"So you're admitting you did it on purpose?"

Shrugging, Robin twisted his lips. "I won't say anything more about the subject until you are a bit more reasonable to deal with. You're upset, I haven't processed this all just yet so let us both have a moment here."

"A moment? You want me to give you a moment? Should I hit pause on life so that you can process this all?"

Robin scratched hard on the underside of his jaw and said nothing.

Snorting bitterly because of the way he wanted to act as if he was anything but a jerk, Regina blinked a couple of times. "Are you serious? You know what, just get out of here."

"What?" He scoffed, his eyes narrowing.

"I said get out. I don't want to see you right now. Actually, I anticipate I don't want to see you tomorrow either so, tsk, I don't know, you better start thinking on what to do."

"Really? Wow…"

"Really." Lifting her chin, the brunette pursed her lips and stared at him straight in the eye.

"No, I won't go anywhere."

Surprised by his answer, Regina scoffed, her eyes set so intently on him she could even feel them watering. From his part, he returned the stare with the same intensity, his eyebrow cooked up

"Ok, if you don't go then I will." She started to move, but before she could get too far, he grabbed her hand and pulled at her until she ended up siting on the bed.

"Come on, don't be ridiculous. Just listen to you; you're drowning in half a glass of water. So what if you're pregnant? We are happily married, we have a home to go back to and this place that's not too shabby, and we already have two beautiful-healthy children with whom you demonstrated to be a wonderful mother to, so what's the big deal about having another one?"

For some reason, she had no good answer to that. With Roland, it has been the terror of having such a little creature depend entirely on her when she has been such a damn mess; with Rylee it has been the fact that she got pregnant so soon after giving birth to Roland that she didn't even know if she was even going to be a good mother.

For all she knew, she could be a Cora in training with two children to traumatize and that was scary as hell. But now that she got the hang of it and now that she knew she was nothing like her mother, there was no reason to be horrified.

Three kids were a handful and not exactly in her plans, but would it be too bad as she was making it be?

"What if it's a girl? I don't have any girl's names with R that I like?"

Laughing out loud, Robin shook his head. "Really, that's the big issue here?"

Sniffing, she rolled her eyes. "No Robin, that's not the whole issue. We are in a pandemic, everything is uncertain and… Roland and Rylee and still so little. I don't know if I could deal with three kids plus work..."

Grabbing her face again, Robin made her look at him. He was now all serious, and when he spoke his voice was stern. "When have I ever left you alone to deal with our kids or even work? Just tell me when, because I'm feeling a little insulted by you implying you'll have to deal on your own with this."

Feeling her eyes fill with tears, Regina yanked her face from his hold and moving a little too dramatically, she threw herself face first against the mattress.

Once there, she buried her face into a pillow. It worked to keep herself from an embarrassing meltdown in front of Robin, but it also gave way for him to take the liberty of running a hand through her hair, his fingertips lightly scraping against her scalp in that way she loved so much.

For a while, that was all he did, soothing some of her worries away.

"Romula is a good one, or Romilda, if it's a girl of course."

Despite herself and the situation at hand, Regina snorted. "No child on mine will ever bear any of those names."

Seizing the moment, Robin grabbed for her and made her sit. He fixed her hair, wiped off the moisture of her eyes and then kissed her briefly.

"You know that I would never leave you alone, right?"

She nodded, blinking when he traced her lips with his thumb.

"And that I will be there every step of the way, because our paths will always be the same?"

She nodded again because yes, she knew… Robin was her constant, the one who understood her like no other and the one who was there no matter how difficult she became.

"And that I will never say no if you ask me to cum in you because I fucking love it."

"Ugh." She pressed the palm of her hand to his face and tried to push him away, but then he kissed her hand and she simply had to smile . "You ruined such a beautiful moment."

"Me? You're the one who freaked out about the thought of having our baby when it should have been a thing to celebrate."

"Well, to be fair, I freaked out with Roland and Rylee too."

Robin wrinkled his nose and hummed. "Yes you did. But you shouldn't have, because like I said, I'll always be here. In the good, the bad and the ugly and this, _this_ is good. It's our flesh and blood in human form, the fruit of our love and I never want you to think about this as being a bad thing because between us, there's only good."

Pouting her lips, Regina blinked slowly, but whatever word she was going to say was quickly silenced as he kissed her. Just a peck, his forehead pressing to hers as he broke it off.

"I think I'm kind of scared… and a hell lot intimidated."

"You don't have to be, because I can assure you right now that everything will be alright. Will you trust me on this one?"

Letting his eyes navigate into her own stare, Regina nodded, a smile on her lips even though her eyes itched and filled up with unshed tears. "I trust you with my life."

Smiling back at her, Robin bumped his nose to hers. "God, I love you so much… for being so amazingly you, for giving me my two greatest treasures… and one of the way, I just… love you with everything I have."

"I love you too, probably more than I love myself. You are everything, my rock, my fuel… ah, but Robin… you need a vasectomy."

He laughed, but instead of replying, he just kissed her, his mouth in hers making her know that yes, everything, was going to be alright.

FIN


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes**: Alright so this was not what I had planned for this update, but after a long conversation with itsmeBadetski, I somehow got convinced that this needed to happen _now_.

Plot wise, this takes place some eight months after the last update, when after spending a couple of months isolated in the woods, the Locksley-Mills are back in London, working. Here, Regina is very much pregnant and even more stressed and as always, she is not dealing very well with her emotions. So maybe keep that in mind before you get mad at her? With that said, I'll leave you to read…

**The Proposal**

She was in a bad mood…

Actually, if she had to be completely honest with herself, Regina would have to go ahead and admit that more than simply being in a bad mood, that she was angry, seething, and for some reason so damned irked, that she could feel her blood boiling like liquid fire as it ran through her veins.

It was something she couldn't quite explain, as she had no concrete reason to feel like that, but she was definitely reviving that familiar sense of anger that used to consume her whole; the one she thought she has banned from her being long ago but that apparently still lived in her.

It was a growing thing, expanding, consuming… and as much as she has been trying to control it, weeks and weeks of suppressing herself had done nothing more than fuel the feeling… until it was now this breathing thing taking control of all of her emotions.

Now, could it be that she was feeling like that because her hormones were a mess? Probably, she was after all about to give birth and all the changes in her body were making her act all kinds of off.

Take her moods for example, they would go from indifferent, to angry and then to total depressed mode and to be honest, trying to ignore all of that so that she could keep being the mom, the wife and the business woman, was exhausting. Because of that, her patience was every time scarcer and her moods ever changing; adding to that all the discomforts of an advanced pregnancy and voila, she was feeling like a time bomb.

What could she say? She was cranky, and how could she not when she wasn't sleeping well? Then it was how she couldn't even look at her toes if she felt the need to take a look at how swollen she was sure her feet had gotten and what was worse, how she couldn't even bend down to pick her own daughter up.

Her own baby, she… just couldn't. That was the latest of her trials and tribulations, because having to look into those blue eyes of hers to tell her that no, that mommy couldn't pick her up hit her like nothing has ever hit her before. It made her go from weeping silently in her bathroom, to feeling angry all of a sudden.

That was how she was having it; by then it has all turned so bad that she could barely stand herself, and she was sure that with the intensity of her ill humor, anyone who would stand as close as six feet near her, could choke on the fumes transpiring from her pores.

That's why she needed _him_, why she needed her husband; because he was the only person in the world who could appease her and make her feel a little more grounded.

The only problem with that logic was that Robin has been at the office while she was home with the kids. That was how they have been working ever since London went back to normal after the Pandemic, one week he would be the one at the office, and the following one, it would be her…

Well, that has been the initial plan, but for the last month, Robin volunteered to take on her weeks as well as it was obvious that with her numerous mood swings, she would be less prone to snap at the employees out of nowhere if she simply set an office at their home.

It was easier that way for her and more comfortable, especially the more her due date approached; but in days like the one she was having, she wished he would be more accessible.

Now yes, it was true that maybe she has been acting a bit off with him as well and that her pregnancy had somehow made her have something against him and all his little habits, but as annoying as she now thought he was, there was no denying that his mere presence was also a force that could calm her like no other.

"_I too wanted to kill my late husband when I was pregnant with Ruby's mother, and much to my penance, that girl couldn't have acted more like him even if she tried; so be ready, because all these little things that annoy you from Robin now? Your child will have them all."_

That has been Granny's take when Robin told the old woman in one of their visits to her, that Regina was suddenly irked by everything that he did. And yes, he was right, the same way she found annoying the fact that he went to Granny to tell on her.

That was why that night she made him sleep with the kids, as she simply couldn't deal with him.

'_Go and tell Granny about this too_' Has been her words as she slammed the door to his face.

Cringing because she has been a bit intense that night, Regina shook her head, glad that Robin knew her like nobody ever could and that's why he was acting like a champ with everything she was putting him through.

Despite her ill humor, Regina smiled at that, wondering how surprised Robin would be to see her there. If she had to guess, she would say that a lot, because he was very much aware that as a rule, she didn't like leaving their children with a sitter.

But well, that day and with her mood, she thought it was going to be best for everybody, especially the kids, if she stepped out to blow some steam, and even when at first her intention was to have a walk in the park, she ended up at the office, searching for Robin.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Mills."

Someone said to her, greeting that she reciprocated by lifting a hand in an awkward gesture that could either mean hello, as well as go fuck yourself. But she didn't have time to stop and wonder how it was taken, so she just focused on getting into the elevator and straight towards her husband.

Who knew? If he was done for the day, maybe they could go out and have that walk together, as she definitely needed the fresh air and the exercise.

That right there had been the thoughts occupying her mind as she approached the executive office, but the closer she would get, the more her thoughts would drift…

Because… wasn't that, that she was hearing, Robin laughing?

Furrowing her brows, the pregnant woman walked closer and closer, the rich raspy sound of her husband laughing reverberating inside her skull because yes, that was without a doubt him, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was another laugh accompanying him. Softer, more feminine, but all the same clear enough for her to pick up.

"It's nothing." She thought, because really, she would be surprised if the man would ever be broody like her. But then she opened the door and something in what she saw, made the blood running through her veins turn from scalding hot, to icy-cold.

Sure, it wasn't much… maybe it was nothing, but the way the woman jumped almost ten feet in the air as soon as she saw her, didn't settle well with her.

"Regina." Robin said, the smile still on his lips as he stood up from the chair. There was also a little frown on his face, which told her that yes, she really ended up surprising him.

"Mrs. Mills." The woman said, getting up as well. She remained on the spot though, while Robin quickly made his way to her.

Now, instead of replying to either one of them, the brunette arched an eyebrow, the full weight of her pregnant stomach suddenly feeling like ten thousand pounds on her.

"Is everything alright?" Robin said as he approached, kissing her cheek a bit too quickly.

Yes, her cheek… he didn't kiss her lips this time, but her cheek, and even if the gesture was more than what she liked them to put on display while in the office, this time she couldn't help but to resent how cold it felt.

"I don't know, Robin, is it?" She asked low enough so that he would be the only one listening.

"I'll go and finish the report on my desk, excuse me." The woman said, sending Regina a soft smile as she walked out of the office.

"Was there something wrong with her desk before?"

At her question, Robin chuckled. "No, I don't think so, we were going through some numbers and… anyway, what are you doing here?" He asked, grabbing her hand and making her step into the office, guiding her straight towards the chair he has been occupying a minute ago. Meanwhile, he sat over the desk, his eyes shining as if she didn't just catch him getting all too familiar with one of her employees.

And how was it that she was called? Elsa? She wasn't sure, but she was sure as hell that she didn't like her.

She didn't like her stupid braid over her shoulder, she didn't like her big blue eyes that looked like a cow taking a dump and she didn't like how she felt so at ease around her husband as to laugh to freely with him.

"What was so funny about the numbers? I mean, I could hear you laughing all the way to the lobby."

"Oh, we weren't laughing about the numbers. I was showing her that video of Roland you sent me the other day, you know, the one he was doing that little dance with the Batman costume."

"Hmm." She hummed, her jaw clenching and her eyes narrowing; her foot was also tapping impatiently against the floor, thing that should have told him she wasn't in a good mood.

"You know, as we talked about the kids and all that, it came into the conversation that she has a sister who was a teacher before the whole pandemic thing but now is sitting home. And I don't know, I was thinking maybe we could hire her to look after the kids?"

Blinking a couple of times and then snorting, Regina lifted her arms a bit up in the air. "You want to hire a nanny? Because what, you think I'm doing a shitty job of looking after the kids myself?"

Probably surprised at her outburst, Robin did a double take. "What? No, Regina… I didn't say that at all. But, you know, with another baby coming, we could definitely use the help."

"_We_, is a lot of people; I am the one taking care of the kids so say it how it is, you think I can't handle my own kids."

Blowing a breath out of his mouth, Robin ran a hand down his face, obviously uncomfortable. "It was just a suggestion, alright? We don't have to do it and let alone argue about it." With that said, he reached for her hand and caught it between his, giving her a small squeeze as she leered at him.

But the thing was, that she did want to argue about it. About the nanny idea and even more so, about how cozy and familiar he was with Elsa.

Could it be that the blonde was the reason why Robin volunteered on being the one doing office hours? It wouldn't surprise her, because with how difficult she was being as of late, Elsa looked like the perfect escape.

She seemed nice, delicate and had an easy laugh, while Regina has been doing nothing but brooding for the last month or so. Then it was the physical aspect, because while she was as huge and uncomfortable as she has ever felt in her life, Elsa was there looking oh so pretty...

"It was a terrible idea. The question is, was it yours or hers?"

"Who, Elsa? She didn't suggest it, it was mentioned and it just crossed my mind."

"What crossed your mind, getting a Nanny or the thought of getting your little friend's sister into my house?"

Robin's brows furrowed again and his mouth twisted. "Actually, getting my wife a little break was all I was thinking by it. Babe, is everything alright?"

Babe… babe, hearing him call her like that made her feel like grabbing the iPad sitting on the desk and breaking it on his face, but no… she wasn't going to do such a thing… as she wasn't not a violent person...

"She's pretty… this _Elsa, _isn't she?"

"Oh I see what this is all about…" He laughed, climbing down from the desk and getting near her. "And I'm not going to fall in that trap; so I'll say that... no, she's not, no more than you, anyway." He tried to kiss her then, the stupid asshole tried to kiss her as if that was going to settle everything.

But no, she was not going to have it, so moving her face away, she groaned. "Now don't you fucking lie to me, Robin, it was clear that you were flirting with her before I got here."

Pulling a bit away, he scoffed, blinking a couple of times as his face became a little somber. "Are you serious right now?"

Feeling fueled, she lifted her chin up.

"Oh I am very serious. Who knows what I would have found if I came here a bit later, or worse, what would have happened if I didn't come here like at all."

For what felt like an eternity, Robin just stared at her, his eyes digging into the hard brown of hers as if he was trying to dig something out of them. It wasn't exactly the kind of stare off a man who was guilty of cheating would have gone for and a part of her brain was telling her that she needed to drop whatever crazy theory she was having about Robin and Elsa; after all, this was Robin, _her _Robin and he would never play her like that.

But, she wasn't exactly acting like herself, she wasn't thinking straight and as always, that was going to be her downfall.

"So you're not going to say anything." She hissed, her voice almost dripping with venom because if you asked her, his silence was louder than a thousand words. "You're unbelievable."

"I don't know… I honestly don't know what to say. You really think I would cheat on you? After everything we've gone through, you think I would do that, with an employee of all people?"

Shrugging and fighting the tears forming in her eyes, Regina bit on her tongue. She should say that no, that she didn't believe it, but instead, her lips curved in a wicked smirk as she looked him dead in the eye. "It wouldn't surprise me."

"Wow." He said, pressing the tip of his fingers to his lips as he tore his eyes away from hers. He focused them instead on a spot right above her head as he set his jaw so hard, she could see the muscle there twitching.

He didn't say anything more to that, and for the longest while, all that reigned in that office was silence and a tension so thick, she was sure she could choke on it.

"You haven't denied it."

Robin looked at her then, the blue of those eyes that she loved so much a shade darker than usual and casting a shadow like none she has ever seen out of them. "I'm not cheating on you, I haven't cheated on you and… fuck Regina, the fact that you think I would is just… mind blowing. I don't even know if I'm mad, hurt or disappointed… I really don't know."

"I want you to fire her."

Blinking a few times, he snorted. "What?"

"If there's nothing between you too, prove it and fire her."

"Prove it… you say that like I haven't been proving not only my commitment, but what I feel for you for the past few years."

"I'm not talking about the past few years, I'm talking about now and here."

Pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, he nodded. "You know… if you want to fire her, do it yourself. I'm not going to fuck up someone like that just because you are acting up and making these crazy stories in your head that make no sense."

"No sense? Are you even… you say that as if I didn't just find you two, in _my _office, chumming it up. A few minutes later and I would have found you fucking her in this desk."

"You are unbelievable. But let me tell you this, Elsa and I? We were just talking, like I talk to every fucking person in this building, and you know why I do that? To make up for the fact that you, as their boss, act like you don't give a crap about them. You come in here and don't even bother to answer a good-morning and I fucking know how that is because I was there not so long ago and I know how that fucking sucks. So yes, excuse me for trying to make your employees feel like they are appreciated as people and not just like a name in payroll."

"Yeah, Saint Robin they call you, making people smile and laugh while working, how sweet of you. Maybe you should use that same energy at home, with your wife and kids, because all you've been doing there, is leaving us."

"To work, to cover up for you." He almost yelled, his eyes wild and yes, angry. She has never seen him look like that and instead of calling for a truce like she knew she should, she pushed a little harder.

"To work, or to see Elsa?"

"For Christ's sake, Regina, you're exhausting… really."

Feeling as if he punched her right on the stomach with those words, Regina sucked in a breath because what he said right there, was both a wake-up call and the catalyst of everything that was to come.

It was done… _she _was done, because she knew in that moment, that she pushed and pushed until she had him at the edge of the cliff, and when he was there, she gave him that last push that made him fly away.

She wanted to reach to him, but something in her simply wouldn't yield.

"Well, if I'm so exhausting to you, maybe you should skip coming back home tonight. I can imagine many places you would rather be in."

Robin licked his lips, his cheeks aflame and she was so sure that he was going to be the reasonable one and say that no, that he wasn't going to go anywhere and that they would fix the misunderstanding whether she wanted it or not.

She knew he would… because that was what he always did. Then she would apologize because really, deep inside, she knew he wasn't fooling around on her...

But... this time he didn't reach out, he just blew out a breath and in defeat, he said the last words she would hear out of him that day or even the next one. "As you wish."

With that said, he was gone, and Regina was left in that office speechless, full of regrets and thinking that this time, she definitely pushed him too hard. So hard, that she sent him away… like she always knew she would end up doing...


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes**: Okay, so I wanted to keep this update for the OQ prompt week party, as I got a personal request for it. But, because I have enough entries already, I decided to publish this one ahead. This way, it won't get lost in the many other updates I will post that week and yes, it will save you another week of waiting. Anyway, not to give too many spoilers, I'll talk about the prompt at the end of the chapter. Other than that… enjoy?

**The Proposal**

"_If I'm so exhausting to you, maybe you should skip coming back home tonight..."_

Closing her eyes and letting the impact of such an awful request wash over her once again, Regina Mills reached for one of the numerous pillows scattered around her King size bed and dragged it over her head, her intentions to suffocate the way the words insistently drilled into her brain.

It was in vain though, because as it turned out, there was nothing to do to keep her own voice from tormenting her. No, the words have been going at her ever since she let them roll out of her tongue and to be honest, she didn't think they would stop anytime soon.

Why would they? They have been torturing her, punishing her and overall, not giving her a moment of peace since the last thirty hours, and apparently, they were intent on keeping it on.

She knew it because they insisted on coming back to her when she least expected it; they would echo inside her head as she was feeding her kids, they would bounce into her skull as she was trying to sleep, and yes… they would push hard into her brain as she tried her best not to give into the temptation of calling _him, _beg him even, to come back and just forget how stupidly out of control she got the day before.

So yeah… to make a long story short, the words have been on repeat ever since she last heard of her husband, and she was sure they would be there for a long time to come.

It was bad… awful, but it was nothing compared to the void she was feeling in her chest knowing that for once, Robin did as she told him… as she has always feared he would, and left.

It was her fault though. She pushed him away, and the more time it passed by without him showing any sign of being alive, the thinner her hope of him walking through that door would get.

Sure, part of her knew she was probably blowing things out of proportion and that he would come back soon. It was Robin after all, the only person who understood how messed up she was sometimes and he wouldn't leave just because of one fight…

Yes, a fight where she accused him of some ridiculous things and told him not to come home that night, but at the end of the day, just one fight… right?

Besides, she was sure he was not going to let another day pass by without at least calling to check on the kids, so what she should do, was calm down, give him the space he needed to cool off, and then just wait for him to reach out.

Logic told her he was going to do that, and then, with both of them more relaxed, she was going to apologize as she really, really… messed up...

"Mommy, mom look, I can fly."

Taken out of her thoughts by the cheerful sound of Roland's voice overshadowing the silence that has been reigning over her bedroom, Regina pushed the pillow out of her face to search for him.

She spotted him quick enough, standing on top of her dresser, wearing his Batman costume and extending his arms up in the air. "Now I fly."

Reading his intentions, the pregnant woman panicked. "Oh my God Roland don't…"

Before she could even manage to get up to her feet and grab him, her firstborn jumped off the dresser. It happened too fast, almost in the blink of an eye; but that short period of time was enough for Regina to feel the way her heart stopped beating.

It just ceased, it was done for… and then, as quick as it stopped, it began beating… hard. So hard she was sure she was going to have a heart attack.

"Yay." Rylee yelped, shaking her sippy cup and spilling juice all over, as her big brother landed safely on the bed.

Blowing out a breath and feeling her stomach contacting, Regina placed a hand to it and then she allowed herself to sit on the corner of her bed, her other hand reaching for her son. "Jesus Christ, Roland, what the…?"

"You see me fly, mommy?"

"Me, I wanna fly too."

"No, nobody is going to fly, okay. Roland, you could have hurted yourself so no, you can't do that anymore, you hear me?"

And really, with the scare she got, she felt about ready to give birth. Not like that was going to happen but damn, what if?

"I'm no Roland, I'm Batman."

"I Batman too."

Grabbing her daughter's feet, Regina pulled at her, dragging the girl over the mattress until she was at reaching distance; then, she placed a hand on her little belly and tickled her.

"Well Batman doesn't make this kind of mess in mommy's bedroom, now does he?" Giggling and then letting out a little yelp, Rylee tried to grab Regina's hand. "And Batman doesn't fly either so you better quit that, young boy."

Taking her hand away from her girl, Regina sighed, watching as the two kids laughed while laying on her bed.

It was silly, or maybe she was a bit too emotional, but as she watched them, she couldn't stop thinking that they were perfect. Sure, a bit unruly if you asked her, but perfect. More importantly, they were happy, the kind of happy she never got growing up so yeah, she probably let a lot of thighs pass by when it came to them but what of that? They were her babies, and she'll be damned if she allowed them to grow up as messed as she did.

"More tickles mommy."

"No tickles until I get some loving, come here, both of you."

Not thinking it twice, the two kids jumped into her arms and hugged her, Roland raining kisses on her cheek and Rylee tangling her little hands into her hair.

Now, if Regina thought she was emotional before, now she got even worse. It was her damn hormones… and it was her feelings all messed up about the Robin situation.

But not wanting to get caught up in that, she kissed each kid and then went back to business. "Okay, you need to help me clean up this mess you made here so… Rylee, the sippy cup, Roland… why are all your toys on my floor?"

God, twenty minutes… she tried to take a nap for twenty minutes and look at all of what they did…

Before she could go through the struggle of getting out of bed, the door of the bedroom opened up and she knew… she sensed it. And no, she didn't have to look to know who it was, because in a second, the kids started yelling and running that way.

"Daddy!"

Holding on a breath and venturing to take a look, Regina watched as her husband and father of her kids smiled that dimple smile she loved so much, his eyes set on the way Roland and Rylee threw themselves at him. He picked them both up easily, kissing them as they tried to cling to him as best as they could at the same time.

It was a lovely sight, one that always warmed up her heart… but at the same time, she couldn't help but to feel guilty that because of her stupid ass, those three had to be apart for a whole day.

True, a darker part of her wanted to point out that Robin was the one who decided to stay away and that wasn't on anyone but him, but for once, she wasn't going to listen to that side of her mind…

No, for now, she was going to thrive in the relief and the peace of mind she felt as soon as he walked in.

He was there, he was finally there, and she felt like she could breathe again.

"Now come on, you heard your mother, so go and pick up all this mess."

"Yes daddy." Roland went to work immediately, and Rylee ended up even helping him.

As for Regina, she had to cringe, because the last thing she has wanted was for Robin to come back and see the bedroom and herself looking like such a mess.

"Did you all get something to eat?" He asked, for the first time since he stepped into the room, taking a look at her.

It wasn't exactly the warm look she has been expecting but it was alright, she could understand if he was still a little mad and needed her to apologize first. Which she was going to do, of course, but that was something she had to do one on one and not with the kids lurking around.

"We did, there's lasagna in the oven… you know, in case you're hungry."

Robin looked away, back to the kids, and if it wasn't because he smiled at them, she would have been worried. "No, I grabbed something on my way here. I'm going to take them out to get some ice cream, you want anything?"

"Yes, I like icecream."

"Yes, icream."

Not missing on the fact that she was excluded from his little trip with the kids, Regina chewed hard on the inside of her cheek. She did that hard, enough to make her eyes water. "No, I'm okay."

"Alright, so you little monkeys finish here and then we'll go."

The kids picked up their pace, all excited, so apparently satisfied, Robin turned around to leave. He didn't say anything to her… he didn't even look at her.

That right there made Regina have a bad feeling eating on her entrails, so getting up to her feet, she tried to reach him. She caught him almost by the kitchen, as her pregnant stomach wasn't letting her move as fast as she used to. "Robin-"

He turned, an eyebrow arched and his eyes finding hers. He didn't say anything though.

"Can we talk?" There, her voice didn't come out as pathetic as she felt, and that was at least something.

Taking in a deep breath, the blue-eyed man twisted his lips. "Sure; I'll take the kids out for a while, I'll put them to bed and then we'll talk."

Nodding, Regina exhaled, holding his stare for a few seconds; but then, he was turning his back to her once again and that little act right there, she didn't like.

Now… how long was he out with the kids? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that it was enough time for her to take a long shower, get as presentable as she could, and then sit on her bed, biting and chewing on all ten of her fingernails.

It was intense, the waiting, but the thing was, that as much as she tried to distract herself, nothing seemed to work. Music was making her feel even more anxious, Netflix was reminding her they were still three episodes away from finishing Money Heist and that she couldn't watch it without him, and when she tried to eat something, the lasagna made her stomach turn.

It was all in vain, so all she could do at the end of it all, was wait...

Then, as if waiting so long wasn't enough, when he finally got home, he took his sweet time bathing and putting the children to sleep, prolonging her wait into an eternity.

It was torture, but she waited and waited, her palms sweating, her belly feeling all kinds of funny, and her heart beating erratically hard against her chest.

What could she say? She was just too nervous, because yes, this was Robin and she didn't want to think that he would give up on her just like that… but still… the way he was acting wasn't what she was used to.

It was scary… no, it was terrifying, as it made that old fear of him finally getting fed up with her and leaving her, come back into the surface.

The worst part of that? That if he did, he would be in all his right, and that it would all be on her...

"I'll be in the living room when you are ready."

Startled by the way Robin peeked into their bedroom to speak before quickly disappearing again, Regina furrowed her brows, thinking that her husband wanting to have this talk in the living room was another hint that things between them were far from being okay.

He was searching for neutral ground… and that right there was more than terrifying…

Not like she didn't have it coming, but fuck… she didn't want to think this was how their story ended.

'_Screw him, you don't need him, you don't need anyone._' And yes, she knew that she didn't, but it wasn't like she needed him in her life, it was that she wanted him there…

Letting a low groan escape her lips, Regina stood up and feeling a heaviness in her heart she has never felt before, she made it into their living room.

Robin was sitting there already, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward, hands linked together and head hanging a little low.

Seeing his entire posture was another sign that made her anxiousness increase, but it also gave her the motivation to go ahead, sit by his side, and take the first step.

Enough whining and lamenting. That wasn't like her, hell no, she was a fighter, she has always been one and she wasn't going to let this bring her down.

Yes, she messed up and she did it bad, but instead of playing the emotional pregnant woman whose hands were shaking a bit too hard, she was going to grab the bull by the horns and fix the fuckery she made... whatever it took.

"I think I owe you an apology for the way I acted yesterday. I was out of line and I… I had no reason to say the things I said. I'm sorry."

There, step one of making things right… apologizing.

Pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Robin lifted his head and fixed his eyes on her. There was no trace of that special sparkle in those blue orbs that was so purely his and instead, his stare felt shadowed; but she wasn't going to let that diminish her resolution of fixing this… of fixing them.

"If there was no reason, why did you say it?"

Sucking in a deep breath and licking her lips, Regina shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know… I just…" Agh, how could she explain without coming off as completely unhinged, that sometimes she acted the way she acted without any apparent reason?

How could she tell him that sometimes, those old demons of her past came back to haunt her, and that sometimes, she let them win?

"So you don't know why you jumped head first and right off the bat accused me of cheating? God, Regina… that's just… so you. You know, that's exactly your problem; you don't think about things before doing them or saying them, you just… put them out there and fuck it all, uh? And then think that throwing out half an apology is going to take it all back… well, it doesn't work that way… no, just no."

Blinking several times as if to let his words sink in, Regina swallowed on dry, feeling that not only were her hands shaking, but her entire body too. No that she was going to let that stop her.

"I didn't throw out half an apology, Robin, I meant it when I said I was sorry… I really am, and I know it's not much or that maybe it's not enough to fix things, but I'm not saying it just to-"

"Did you walk into me doing anything inappropriate?" He interrupted her, his voice low and eerie and his eyes scorching into hers. It made Regina clench her jaw as she shook her head no. "Was I too close, did you have the impression I was about to kiss her? Did you even see me touching her?"

Unable to find her voice, Regina shook her head no again.

"Have I ever, in any kind of circumstances, made anything to make you feel like you could distrust me like that?"

"No." She whispered, feeling so very little. And yes, part of her wanted to bite back, to tell him he couldn't talk to her like that, but then… a more reasonable part of her brain, kept telling her that she needed to sit there and eat everything he was saying.

It was the least she could do, let him get off his chest all the things he felt she needed to hear.

"Then why did you say that? And don't give me that bullshit that you don't know."

"Well I don't know what to say. I was angry, I wasn't having a good day and I just… I saw you there and I don't know… I kind of went off… I wasn't thinking… or I was, but then my thoughts went in all kinds of directions…"

"So you were angry and you took it out on me?"

She didn't think of it that way, but maybe? She wasn't sure though, so she said nothing.

"Here's the thing Regina… because it's not the first time you do this, and I don't know if I ever said it like this to you, but I will now, as I am tired of being the one always turning the other cheek. I am not your personal punching bag to use whenever you need to blow off some steam. I am your husband, and if you have any sort of issue or if something is bothering you, what you do is come to me and talk it out so we can fix it. What you did yesterday? That's not acceptable in any kind of way, especially if you have no motives to react like that."

"I know."

"No; you don't know, because if you did, we wouldn't be here having this conversation, and if you did, you wouldn't sit there with zero remorse whatsoever, telling me that you are not entirely sure why you acted the way you did."

"Then what do you want me to say, Robin? If I don't really know… I just know that I… I saw you there… and my mind started to roll and get all out control, telling me that it was there, with this whatever her name is or the equivalent of her, where you should really be, and that maybe you wanted to be there because let's face it Robin, one day you'll realize I'm too messed up for you and you will leave." Wiping at her eyes because damn it, they were leaking, Regina sucked in a deep breath.

On his part, Robin scoffed. "Is that what you think of me, is that what you think I want to do, find another person and ditch you?"

"It's not what I think you want to do, but it is what will happen. If not for another person, then just because you got tired of dealing with me. Just look at this, I can't do anything other than mess up… over and over again, and it's not like I want to do it, I really don't, but it's just what I do. I use anger to protect me from being hurt and I don't know, sometimes I'm good, but then a trigger is flicked and my brain just fries up and I do this kind of stupid shit. I'm full of demons, Robin… and I love you, more than I probably love myself, but you don't deserve to deal with them."

She stopped there, taking in a deep breath because she was rambling and making no sense whatsoever and she needed to collect herself.

She also needed a moment to let the stingy feeling in her eyes go away.

"Regina…" Grabbing her hand and sucking his lips into his mouth, Robin began to say and she knew… she just knew what he was going to say. If he doubted it before, he was sure of it now… he was going to leave her, because who in their right mind would want to deal with her and all her baggage? "I think… we should really get you some help to deal with those issues of yours."

"Because you think I'm crazy?" Rubbing a hand to her eyes, she snorted bitterly.

"No, I don't think you're crazy, but you do have some unresolved issues you need to deal with… some from your past, others with your parents. You've dragged them all for too long and I have to be honest, I don't think bottling them up has done you any favors."

His tone wasn't harsh, but the words stung all the same. Why? Because maybe he was right?

"I don't need a shrink to tell me what my problems are, Robin, I know them all…"

Twisting his lips, he let go of her hand. "But you do need help when it comes to dealing with those issues, with the demons you say to have and that sense of self-loathing you try to ignore. Here's the thing… I love you, God knows I do and that I wouldn't be so upset about this if I didn't, but I don't think we are going to go too far here if you don't get that help."

So he was telling her she needed therapy in order for them to work?

In a way, she knew she should feel insulted, but at the same time, it was the window she needed to cling to him… yes, because if there was anything she was sure in this life, it was that she always wanted to have this man by her side, and if that meant visiting a shrink, then she should go ahead and do it.

It was a small price to pay to keep her family together, wasn't it?

"So you are saying you don't want to break up with me?"

Sucking in a breath, Robin lifted a hand and scratched hard down his jaw. "I'm saying... that we should focus on getting you better, and then we can talk about everything else."

Regina frowned, not really understanding. "Okay… and how does that work?"

"I won't lie, I'm still upset… I didn't like how all of this played out so… we just take some time to cool off and see where it goes, you understand?"

"I… don't… you want us to take a break?" And God, she wasn't exactly a religious person, but she sent a silent prayer for him not to want that. A break was the first step of a break-up… everybody knew that… or was she confused about how that worked?

"Not a break… but I think I better take the guest's room for a little while."

Regina wanted to snort because that fucking sounded like him wanting a break and she hated the idea, but knowing she was in no position of bargaining, she ended up saying it was okay.

At least he was in the house… if that was of any solace and she clung to that.

But that night, as she slept alone in her bed, her tears silently rolling down her eyes, she wished for Robin to just come by and tell her he would rather sleep there with her, in their bed. He never did, so before falling asleep, she changed her wish and hoped instead, for things to go back to normal soon...

TBC

Alright, so the prompt was this:

_"Regina is the one who always does something wrong. So, maybe for once Robin does something and Regina gets hurt and disappointed but she feels like she cannot say anything for everything she has done to Robin before."_

Whoever sent this, thanks so much and I hope this kind of fit!


	35. Chapter 35

Alright so this is a short bonus chapter I quickly put together for prompt week. It's not much, but something I needed to get out of the way to keep going where I want to go with the story. Hope you enjoy!

Prompts:

248: Cora does something cunty

226: Robin thinks Regina has lost interest in their marriage/relationship

222: Robin shares a painful memory

The Proposal

"So how are you doing today, Regina?"

Pushing the inside of her cheek with the tip of her tongue as she absentmindedly tried to rub away the discomfort of having a baby moving and constantly kicking inside of her, Regina Mills sighed, her eyes intently set on the man sitting opposite to her.

"I've been better." She said carefully, keeping her tone neutral and her face stoic. And yes, she has been way better, but she has also been a hell of a lot worse so she guessed that at least that was something. But because she didn't have it in her that day to play positive or to humor anyone by saying that she was okay, she wasn't going to even mention it because no, she wasn't really okay, and if she couldn't go ahead and admit to that in her own damn therapy session, then where else could she do it and with who?

"Not having a good day then. Care to tell me why is that?" Dr. Hopper, the shrink Robin got for her, scribbled something in his notepad and then he glanced at her, his eyes lifting above his eyeglasses as if he couldn't look at her right through them.

"Why? Well… where do I even start? I'm one week away from my due date and this little guy is giving no sign of wanting to come out anytime soon, and yet he keeps growing on and on and that's uncomfortable as hell. He doesn't get that there is not much of me to keep like… getting bigger. I'm also tired, cranky and itchy. Did you know that one of the things about being pregnant and this far along is having your entire belly itch really bad? Or that you can't apparently scratch or else you'll get stretch marks? Well… that's a real thing, and that feeling of not getting to sooth that itch is the worst thing ever. Um, let's see what else is adding to this shitty day? Oh, my husband is still sleeping in the guest's bedroom… as I am apparently too much of a pain in the ass for him."

Hopper wrote a bit more into his notes and she wondered what he put in there. That she was not only crazy, but was also a whinny rambling fool?

"Have you talked to him about that?"

Knowing very well what he was referring to but wanting to consume her time by evading the hard subjects as much as she could, Regina hummed.

"About the being itchy thing? No, I don't think I have to. I mean he knows, it's not our first kid so yeah, whatever. He did get me this lotion that's supposed to help me with the whole thing and that was nice of him, I guess; but between you and me, the lotion is crap and it still itches everywhere and all the time. It works for a minute but then it's back to driving me crazy. The other day, it was so bad I used a hairbrush to scratch myself. It was crazy."

Probably already knowing what she was trying to do, Hopper nodded for a few seconds, his eyes scrutinizing each and every one of her movements, and through the not so subtle staredown, she tried to keep her face neutral.

"I was referring to the part about you two sleeping in different bedrooms. Have you talked to him about how that bothers you?"

Pushing her back against the sofa she was sitting on and trying to get as comfortable as she could before her session started to go places she wasn't eager to explore, Regina sucked in a breath, her eyes widening a little as she watched the doctor reciprocate the intense glance.

"No. I haven't… like… you know, go for it and straight talk about it with him."

The doctor patted his pen to the notepad and knowing what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth, the pregnant woman rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know you've been telling me how important it is to talk things out and that I shouldn't keep whatever I feel inside or else I'll blow up and fuck things even more-"

"I didn't exactly say it like that."

"No, but it is what you meant and you're right; but this thing with Robin…" She stopped there, trying to find the right words to explain her reasoning.

It was hard… opening up, letting her mouth say the things she has always been reluctant to voice out… trying to find any kind of logic to the intricate web that her mind was…

Now, to some people, talking about the things that affected them could be normal, but to her it was all a bit bizarre; after all, she has never done anything like it before. That was probably how she ended up like she did, because instead of letting her anger, her disappointment and all of her demons out, for years she has bottled them all up and kept everything to herself.

But now… now in barely two weeks of therapy, she was supposed to just spill it all out and act as if it didn't bother her to be so exposed and it was a freaking struggle.

True, despite everything and given all the shit she has been keeping inside, she believed she has done fine… she has managed to talk about some of the issues that has been haunting her and yes, that somehow eased the pressure that has been consuming her inside out for so long; but even when she would say that she was making good progress, there were times when she didn't know how to explain herself.

And now, it was one of those moments.

"I don't know… I think I haven't talked to him about it because maybe part of me thinks I deserve to be kind of pushed to the side? Or maybe it's not that because he is not exactly pushing me, you know? But I kind of think that if I say it out loud, maybe he will do just that. It's like if I tell him, maybe I make it real? I don't know… it's just… complicated."

"Make real what, exactly?"

"I don't know. And that's the thing… I don't know where we stand right now. I don't know if we are together, or if he's waiting for me to have the baby so that he can bail out, or if he just wants to see what level of crazy I am to decide if he wants to stay or not. I just don't know, and not being sure is worse than having him straight tell he wants to kick me to the curb."

"Do you think that's what he wants to do, end it between you two? Or could it be that he is doing what he told you at the beginning, that he wants to focus on getting you better before delving into everything else."

Shrugging, Regina bit on her lips. "I'm not sure. I mean he's been good to me for these past few weeks. We talk about things… and he's been very supportive with everything. It's like we are together but without the _being together_ part, if you know what I mean? It's just weird and confusing; there are times I think he is just trying to play nice and not dump me when I'm pregnant, because that's just such a Robin thing to do, bu then there are times when he smiles at me or looks at me a certain way that makes me think that it's okay, that_ we are_ going to be okay. But it all stops there, because at night he still goes to the other room and then… nothing."

That was basically how things have been going at the house, and she didn't want to put it out there like this, but he hasn't even kissed her, and the small touches that used to be so common on him during the day were almost nonexistent now.

It was discouraging because she was really trying, and she wasn't sure if he was seeing no progress or if he just wanted to leave her, but the thing was that she didn't like the wall he was putting between them.

That they talked? Yes, they did, maybe like they haven't done in a while. They even had a routine now; he called when he was at work to check on her and the kids and then at night, after the children were asleep, he would just sit with her in their living room to either talk or to watch some Netflix. He was more or less, back at being his easy going self, the only difference was that he was now careful not to touch her too long or too much, and it was all a bit confusing.

In a way, he was pushing and pulling at the same time and she didn't really get what was going on.

"Well I think the only way of knowing is asking him; do you think he will be open to have that kind of discussion?"

"Robin? Yeah, sure…" She was the one that didn't feel ready for it. Not when there was a chance that he would make one of her biggest fears a reality, saying how this was not what he signed up for and then leaving for good.

"How about you, do you think you'll be able to talk about in a calmed way?"

Ha, not a chance. Not like she was going to blow up in anger, but she would no doubt be devastated and definitely not calmed…

"Yes, I guess. At least I know I won't go off on him, because if he ends up leaving, it will because I pushed him out the door."

The doctor wrote a few more notes before going on. "Have you noticed that ever since we started these sessions, there has not been a day where you sat on that couch without blaming yourself for something?"

No, she hadn't noticed, but she couldn't say that she was surprised either. "Really? Well… the reason I'm my own worst enemy is because I tend to sabotage myself, and for that I can't blame anyone but dear ol' me. It's not Robin's fault… or anyone else's for that matter. This is all on me and my big mouth."

"Hmm. Do you think you are ready to talk about your parents now?"

Groaning, Regina shifted on her position, already feeling restless on the spot. "I told you the other day; there's nothing to talk about when it comes to them. They are dead, and that's all there is to it."

"I have in my notes here, that they died seven months ago, is that right?"

Clenching her jaw because she could sense how the man was going to push it this time, Regina looked at her watch. Twenty minutes for the session to end. "I think so."

"That must have been hard, losing them both at the same time."

Closing off a little, she shrugged. "I wasn't so close to them… so whatever."

"But still, it must have been a hard blow. It was a recent thing too, and with you starting your pregnancy… so this must have affected you in some way."

"It did affect me, but… I don't talk about it. It's a closed subject, I mean I didn't even talk about it with Robin so…."

"And I think that was a huge mistake. We discussed some aspects of the impact they left in your life and the role they played on marrying you off so young to a man you ended up detesting, but we haven't touched too deep into how your relationship with them affected you in the long run. I think, your parents are a huge reason why you hold so much resentment, why you blame yourself so hard, why you have trust issues and why you lack a little in the self-esteem department, so that you are holding back when it comes to their death and how it affects you, can be a huge factor on your depression. You haven't externalized your grief or your anger at them and the pressure of that growing inside of you, mixed with all the other thighs you've been dealing with, could have been the triggering factor that made you feel like blowing up."

Regina fought against the need of rolling her eyes, and instead she twisted her mouth to the right.

"So you're saying I just have mommy issues. Should I just go ahead and say I hate her so that my problems disappear?"

"They are not going to disappear, Regina, but letting go of what you are holding, could be a huge step into the right direction."

"Hmm, I'll keep it in mind. What's the next subject?"

"Why don't we talk about how it made you feel when you found out they died?"

This time, Regina rolled her eyes because for crying out loud, why was this man such a pain in the ass?"

"Well… doc, when they died, I just thought it was so like my mother to do something as cunty as getting sick and dying without letting me know beforehand about what was going on. I also thought that it was just a shitty thing how she dragged my father along." She meant to leave it there because she wasn't sure she was emotionally ready to talk about this; but then, as if she could choke with the words, her throat started to itch, her heart was suddenly beating too hard and even her hands were sweating with the effort of keeping it down.

There was just this sudden urge in her to let go to some of that pain...

"I didn't even know they were sick… they apparently were in a hospital for a little more than a week… and you would think that after putting me through so much… that they would have at least wanted to talk to me one last time. I mean… I didn't expect so much from Cora, but my father…"

Blowing out a breath, she scoffed, remembering the night Robin waited for the kids to be asleep so that he could sit with her and tell her the news about her parents being dead, both of them, and as he recited word for word what the nurse at the other side of the world said, she recalled how just sat there…

She has been shocked and too numb to react, so much that she didn't even shed a tear, but inside… oh, inside she was broken. Not exactly because of the loss, but by the fact that not even with death knocking on her door, Cora had the decency of reaching out to her. And it wasn't like she would have expected an apology, but maybe part of her she didn't even know existed, was left craving to listen to the words she never got to hear from her part, an I love you maybe, or if it wasn't that, at least a hint that she at least cared.

She got nothing, because even after dying, Cora Mills found a way to screw her over and she hated it… she hated it that she still affected her, and more than anything, she hated the thought of them dying alone and that because of the pandemic, she wasn't even able to go and attend a funeral that never happened...

"But like I said, they are dead so it doesn't matter anymore…"

The rest of the session went like usual, Hopper encouraged her to open up a bit more, especially when it came about her parents and then he went all guru on her. She didn't pay too much attention to him anyway, because after their little talk about Cora, she was feeling the same kind of numb she felt when she first heard about the news.

By the time Robin picked her up, she was feeling the beginning of a headache forming right behind her eyes and she wanted nothing more than laying down to sleep straight into the next day.

"So how was your session today?"

Inhaling deeply and closing her eyes, Regina threw her head against the passenger's seat of Robin's car, her fingers massaging her temples as she heard him starting the engine. It was their routine now, two days a week he would leave her in front of the doctor's office, and forty five minutes later, he would pick her up, ask her how it went and then they would either go straight home or they would stop somewhere to pick something to eat and just talk about her session.

That day, she didn't feel like talking, so she hoped he would just drive them home.

"He wanted to talk about my parents, again."

"And you didn't say a thing, again."

With her eyes still closed, the brunette woman took notice of the disapproval in his tone and usually, that would bother her or make her feel like taking it back, or maybe lie and say that she did, that she talked the talk and that she was fine now. But that day she wasn't up to any of that…

"You know the point of doing the therapy is for you to talk about these things, right? So you can drop some of the weight off your shoulders and take a breather."

"I know. It's just… I don't want to talk about Cora. Just thinking about her stresses me out and I don't think that will do me any good. Ugh… I just wish her memory and all of what she represents would disappear from my mind as quickly as she died."

"Wow… that's…"

Regina shook her head because no, that wasn't the kind of thing that was going to make him think she was getting better, but it was what it was. Besides, didn't Hopper say she needed to communicate?

"I know you don't get it, I don't expect you to, but she… she really did a number on me and I feel like talking about it will open up the Pandora's box and that instead of getting better, it will make me feel way worse and I can't deal with that right now."

"Maybe, or it could be that talking about it will help you get it off your chest and if you want me to be honest, I think that's exactly what you need."

Opening her eyes, Regina looked at him, watching as he was fully concentrated on the road ahead. It gave her some time to admire most of his profile and as she roamed along his features, she couldn't help but to sigh, thinking that even though he was there, at reaching distance, she was missing him like never before.

She didn't need to talk about Cora; no… she needed him. She needed to be able to kiss him whenever she wanted to, and to run her fingers through his hair while telling him how he was getting more than a good share of grey there and above everything else, she needed to feel his arms around her as she drifted to sleep.

But no… she wasn't getting that, and instead it was Hopper making her talk and talk nonstop about each and everyone of her issues.

But… could it be that to get back on good terms with him, what she needed was to do that, to face her worse demons?

"I hate her, I can at least get that off my chest. And it sounds bad because she is dead and well, because my mother; but I hate her, what she did, how she made me feel so… ugh, I don't even know how it is that she made me feel. You wouldn't understand anyway."

Robin looked at her for a second but he said nothing. Regina thought he was going to leave things there, but then, he was pulling over some parking lot, killing the engine and turning on his seat so that he could look at her.

"I don't know nor do I pretend to know how it was growing up with her and how it felt to live through the things she put you through. But maybe I do know how it feels to grow up having this… feeling of not being enough, of thinking that if not even your parents found you worthy of loving, then who would even love you? I lived that. You know I was abandoned, thrown away if you will and growing up on that can get to you. Your parents kept you, mine ditched me somewhere for someone else to find me. And yes, I was lucky I had Granny and that she filled some of that void… but I do know… Regina, and I think I can understand."

Sucking in a deep breath because yes, sometimes she was so self-absorbed that she forgot she was not the only one with a shitty background, Regina blinked her eyes several times.

"I also had to go through even more crap, because when Marian got pregnant, I thought that I was finally going to have it all, that I was going to get something that was mine and I can't even begin to tell you how that felt. To think you finally have something worth fighting for and then having it ripped off of your hands; so yes, I do know. I know how it feels to think you are not enough… and I'm not saying this to make you feel bad, but then with you…"

He took in a deep breath, grabbing her hand to take it in his.

"There are times I think you push me away because you lost interest in us being together and that makes me go back to that feeling of maybe not being good enough; and yes, I try to hold onto it, onto us… but sometimes I don't know if that will be enough… so yes, I get you, more than what you can imagine. So I don't know, if you don't feel like talking to your doctor, why don't you try and talk to me?"

Feeling her eyes itching, Regina closed them. She didn't want to cry, not there, but it was like her hormones were not helping and the tears were there, menacing to start spilling.

She meant to keep her eyes closed for that reason, but then she felt his hand on her face and the touch was so soft and so his, that she just had to open them to look at him, staring deep into those blue orbs she loved so much.

"Talk to me."

At first she shook her head because no, she didn't want to… but then, after swallowing on dry and after he used his thumb to wipe the couple of tears that managed to escape, she spit it out. "I think… or I feel… like I turned into her, like I spent my entire life trying to detach myself from her only to end up acting exactly like she did, and I hate that… I hate that I put so much effort on not being 'Cora the mother' and screwing up the kids, that I didn't put attention to the fact that I turned into 'Cora the wife' with you, and I hate myself for it. I hate that I made you feel that way… because I don't want to push you away, Robin… not now, not ever."

"Hey, no... you are nothing like her, ok? You've had a few bad moments but we'll fix that." Pulling her closer, Robin pressed his lips to her forehead, his hands in her hair as she worked on her breathing not to break down and cry her eyes out there. It was hard though, because that was exactly what she felt like doing.

"I love you… so much." She said, for some reason feeling like her heart was stuck in her throat.

"I know, and I love you."

Taking comfort on the words and on the way he placed a kiss on her forehead, Regina pulled away, her eyes searching for his. "Are we going to be alright?"

His eyes danced all over her face for a second, then he nodded. "I think so… I hope so."

Good, she thought, good… because she couldn't wait to take back on the life she wanted to have with him, the life she thought they deserved...

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

Regina woke up to the distinct sensation of having her mother's voice whispering in her ear. It was a low murmur, unintelligible, but it nonetheless crept deep into her brain, settling into the very core of her existence so that it could dwell there… unmercifully echoing all over.

The whole thing made her body tense up, reacting immediately by jerking into a sitting position.

It also sent an eerie chill to run down her spine, and as she sat over her mattress, a gasp stuck in the back of her throat and a slightly shaky hand covering her mouth, she couldn't help but to close her eyes again and take relief in the fact that Cora wasn't there, that it has all been a product of her subconscious playing tricks on her… again.

Still, in the aftermath of it, she could feel her heart pounding hard into her chest, hell… she could even hear it; after all, it was a loud thing, almost deafening in the sepulchral silence that would otherwise be reigning inside her room, and she could feel it thundering into her ears the same way she could feel it hammering against her ribcage.

Now, as it always happened when she woke up like that, she was feeling slightly disoriented, with the notions of time and space all distorted in her mind, so it took almost a whole minute so that she could start getting more in cue of where she was and what just happened, and when it hit her… when she realized that everything she experienced was a product of yet another one of her nightmares, she groaned, dragging her hand up her face as she tried to ease her breathing a little bit.

"Not this again…" She mumbled because no, it was not the first time that week that had her waking up like that; shaking, with her sheets twisted around her limbs and with the remnants of a nightmare clinging to her mind...

Swallowing on dry and in a way relieved it was at least over, the brunette woman laid down on her side, one of her hands automatically coming to rest over her protruding stomach because as it happened, it felt like her unborn baby also woke up a little restless. He was kicking and twisting inside of her, making her feel not only affected by the aftermath of the nightmare, but also all tensed up because of the discomfort taking over her entire midsection.

"It's okay… it's over." She hushed him, in a way trying to soothe the creature growing inside of her. Not like it worked, so letting a deep groan escape past her lips, she fought her way from the tangle of blankets and got up to her feet, hoping that walking a little would help her baby settle back.

It was like that how once again, she ended up half awake in the middle of the night, pacing around her bedroom, her mind trying to push aside whatever trace of the nightmare that was still there as she rubbed and rubbed on her already forty weeks pregnant stomach.

She did that for at least ten minutes, and it was only when the baby started to calm a little, that she blew out a breath, feeling too tired to do anything else, but too restless to go back to sleep.

"This is ridiculous."

Humming and running a hand through her messy hair, the brunette shook her head, her eyes settling on the empty bed… specifically, on Robin's side of it, part of her disappointed but not surprised that he was once again sleeping somewhere else.

Sure, that '_somewhere else' was _inside the house, but definitely not where he should be sleeping. But because she didn't want to get even more upset than how she felt in that moment, Regina brushed aside all thoughts of her husband and focused instead on the problem at hand.

Sleep… she needed it, she craved it and her heavy eyes demanded it; but the nightmare and what was worse, thinking she heard Cora's voice left her completely unsettled and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep as easily as she wanted.

She could try, but she was just going to end up tossing and turning, and she would do all that and she still wasn't going to fall back asleep immediately.

Defeated, she checked the hour. It was only one in the morning, too early to go and take a walk outside but perfect for maybe some tea?

Yes, tea and probably check on her kids.

With that in mind, she made it to her door and without bothering to put on a robe that would go over a nightgown that wasn't entirely covering a great deal of her, she walked out.

Now, her intention was to go into the kitchen, fix herself some tea and then go back to bed, but when she noticed that Robin was in the living room, half lying on the sofa as he watched some TV, she halted on her tracks and frowned.

He didn't notice her immediately, as he was apparently too engrossed with whatever it was that he was watching, thing that gave her a little time to appreciate him.

Now, a month ago, catching him like that would have made her feel like throwing something at him because his feet were on the sofa and God, she hated that, but in that moment, she couldn't help but just notice how good he looked.

And really, she wasn't sure if it was because being in a forced withdrawal from him was making her really see things she took for granted before, or because almost three weeks have passed since they shared something as simple as a kiss, but the thing was that Robin barefoot, in his grey sweatpants and that black shirt, was a very appealing thing to watch.

Then there was his hair, going carelessly all over, the strong outline of his jaw as he absentmindedly chewed on the corner of lips and of course, his blue eyes intently settled on the screen. He looked like a dream come true… a dream she couldn't quite reach anymore, for whatever reason…

But because he wasn't entirely out of reach and she could still talk to him as if all was perfectly fine in their marriage, she folded her arms to her chest and arching an eyebrow, she cleared her throat. "Are you watching porn?"

Apparently startled, Robin jumped a little, his eyes shooting up so that he could look at her as he sat down. "Jesus, Regina, you scared the crap out of me."

Humming, her lips twisted in what was supposed to be a smile as her eyes settled on his. "Why, because I caught you watching porn?"

Scoffing and running his fingers through his hair, Robin pressed paused to whatever he was watching and got up. "I'm not watching porn. Why are you up though, everything alright?"

Placing a hand on her stomach, Regina sighed, biting her tongue so she wouldn't blurt out that no, that nothing was alright. She was still uncomfortably very pregnant, without a husband to share her bed with and having nightmares featuring her dead mother, so no, there was nothing alright, like at all.

"You know, same shit different day." She said at last, watching as he got near enough to also place a hand over her belly.

He felt around a little, only stopping when he came upon her own hand. It was only then that he dropped away and sighed. "Can't sleep?"

Shaking her head, Regina bit hard into the inside of her cheek, her eyes refusing to let go from the way his blue orbs were focused entirely on her own gaze.

It was an intense thing, the way he would always look at her, and it was one of the reasons why she felt so confused about what the hell was going on between them. He was there, playing nice, helping around and always looking at her like that, as if he wanted to either kiss her or tell her something he was struggling with… but he never did, he only limited himself to playing the good husband, but one that wouldn't touch her even if his life depended on it.

It made her wonder. Was it that he didn't feel attracted to her on a physical level anymore? Was he repulsed by her now?

She wouldn't doubt it, as it could very much be that with her being so huge, bloated and with veins showing everywhere, he didn't find her appealing in any possible way and thus, why his reluctance in getting intimate with her.

Now, even as part of her believed that could be the reason, at the same time, she felt like it didn't make sense, especially since she wasn't as big as she got with Riley and with that past pregnancy, he never seemed to have a problem with how out of control everything got. Quite the contrary, as he for some reason got obsessed with the ridiculous way in which her boobs grew, veins and all.

So, looking back to those times, she wasn't sure if what was making him hold back was a physical thing, and because of that right there, she couldn't help but to wonder if his lack of interest resided in something deeper. Be it the fact that he no longer loved her or that he wanted nothing to do with her crazy ass anymore, not even kissing her.

"Go and sit down, I'll fix you some tea." Robin said, taking her out of her thoughts so that she could land back into the new reality of her new relationship with her husband.

Clearing her throat, she moved out of the way, making it into the sofa to sit in the vacant spot Robin left; and no, as she glanced over at the TV, she confirmed that much as he said, he wasn't watching porn.

It was a shame, because if he would have been watching that kind of programming, maybe he would be up to at least giving her some very much needed loving.

But he wasn't, what he was watching was Sherlock, so she already knew how the night was going to end, with Robin in the guest's room, and she alone in her bed.

Trying not to let her spirits fall apart again by how in three weeks everything fell apart on her, Regina got as comfortable as she could under the circumstances, her hand once again settling on her stomach to rub on it.

She did that for a while, her mind wanting to get unsettled but her resolution strong in not letting it.

By the time the tea was ready, Robin came back to sit with her, a mug in his hand that he quickly handed over to her.

"So, what is my boy here doing to keep you awake now?"

Sipping on the tea and letting it settle in her, Regina shrugged. "He thinks it's party time inside my stomach. I swear when he is born, I'm going to hand him over to you and just sleep for two weeks straight."

Scoffing and resting his back against the sofa, Robin looked at her through half closed eyes. "Right, like you believe that. I think we both know that when this baby is born, you're going to get all mamma bear on him like you always do; I'll be lucky if you even let me hold him in the first few days."

Regina didn't think he was wrong, because one look has been all it always took for her to fall completely in love with her kids and feel like she never wanted to let go, and she didn't doubt it was going to be any different with this one; but because she didn't want to give him any kind of reason to feel like he was right and she was wrong, she shook her head no.

"Nah, I know better this time. It will be all you dealing with all three of them because I, will be too busy sleeping. Two weeks, that's all I need, then I will claim all my babies back."

Furrowing his brows, Robin snorted. "Right… I'll believe that when I see it."

"Want to bet?" Putting her mug over the coffee table, Regina turned to her side and facing him, she pressed her frame to the back of the sofa.

"Are you really that eager to lose? Regina, I think you are forgetting that I know you better than you know yourself so is this really the smartest thing to do?"

Lies, he didn't know shit about her. If he did, he would know that this waiting that he was forcing her to endure was killing her. He would know, that this was the worst thing she had to go through in maybe the last decade of her life and if he really knew how it was affecting her to have him so near and yet so far, he wouldn't be putting her through such a torture.

But because she wasn't going to put it like that and risk all the work she has done in getting both her emotions and her sharp tongue under control, she just blinked a couple of times. "I think you don't know me as well as you think you do, Locksley."

"You think so?" Biting on his lips and resting a hand on her stomach, he shrugged. "And how do I know that my son in here, is not really the reason why you can't sleep? Am I right or am I right?"

Groaning when he arched an eyebrow with all the confidence in the world, Regina blew out a breath. Sure, she could deny it, but that was not what her therapist advised she should do.

No, according to him, what she needed was to talk, to communicate, and as hard as that was for her, maybe it was exactly what she needed to do to make the nightmares stop…

They have been going on for a while now and keeping it inside only seemed to aggravate the problem.

"It's nothing, I just had a weird dream that woke me up."

Robin nodded, his mouth twisting a little and his hand soothingly rubbing her stomach. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No." She said at once, but then, closing her eyes and remembering there was no progress in keeping things to herself, she sucked in a shaky breath and gave in. "It was a nightmare, actually… and it had to do with my mother. Um… I don't know, it was weird."

"Have you been having a lot of those?"

She shrugged, her eyes opening so that she could look at him, noticing how he was focused now and intently staring at her.

"Regina, if you don't talk to me, I can't help you."

"I know."

For a few seconds, neither one of them said a thing, but then he grabbed her hand and lacing his fingers to hers, he gave her a little squeeze. He was also looking at her in a way that was almost calming, and getting lost in that gaze she loved so much, she blew the breath out of her mouth.

"It's not always the same dream… but it kind of is at the same time, if you know what I mean. It's always her… lurking in the shadows and waiting for me to do something. First time I had this nightmare, it was all about my father, and on it, we were just talking and walking; but then she started calling for him and he would just disappear from my side to go to her. I tried to reach for him, to make him come back, but her pull was stronger and I just couldn't make him come back. She laughed at that, saying how weak and pathetic I was being… and just saying how I will always end up alone. Like her."

Leaving it there for a second and then scoffing because it was really ridiculous how she let herself be affected by such a silly thing, Regina rolled her eyes.

"I had a few more like that one, often with my father, but I once had one where it was you the one she took away and then tonight, it was our baby the one she wanted. She took him, one moment I was pregnant and then she had it in her arms, coddling it and telling him how she was not going to let me ruin him like I was ruined."

Moving his other hand from her stomach to her face, Robin allowed his thumb to brush against her cheek. It was basically the first real intimate touch he did on her in the past three weeks, so unable to help it, she just closed her eyes and took comfort on it.

"It was a bad nightmare, but it was just that. She can't hurt you in any kind of way and she can't take any of us from you. Not me, not the baby…"

"She took my father." And in a way, she was taking _him _away as well… little by little… "She always had that on me. Ever since I can remember, she was this huge wall between my father and I, and she never really let us get past that. I resented him for it, so much… because he never fought for me; but then he died and I can't…"

Stopping there because if she kept going, she could end up crying, the brunette woman sucked in a breath, blinking a couple of times until she felt a bit more in control.

"You can't what?"

"I don't know. I just think that maybe it should have been me the one reaching out. I know how controlling Cora could be and how weak for her he was… so maybe I should have reached more for him, get him out of there and I don't know, maybe that way he wouldn't have ended up dying all alone."

With his thumb still moving against her cheek, Robin said nothing and she knew that he was giving her time to let go of all she was keeping inside. No judging, no added comments, he was just listening.

"I could have at least called… because I've been feeling all mad and bitter about how they ended up in that hospital without telling me a thing; but I never called either… the world was going to shit and I didn't call…"

Probably sensing that she was on the verge of breaking, Robin slid closer to her. "Hey, nothing of what happened was your fault. None of it, nothing of what Cora did, not the path your father decided to take, and definitely not how they passed away. You said it yourself, the world was going to shit, and you had your own things to worry about. So don't even for one second think that you doing something differently, could have ended up changing things. You hear me? We can't fall into that game of '_what ifs' _that will lead us nowhere."

Regina nodded, but in reality, she wasn't so sure, not when some of the resentment and yes, the guilt she hadn't been wanting to deal with, were the ones she felt for herself…. and those, all of those, fell into the constant what ifs that would every day invade her mind…

What if she would have been a better daughter? Because sure, her mother was awful, but what if she would have been easier to deal with herself? She could have listened more, tried to fit into the mold her mother wanted… Then there was how she omitted her own father and left him to deal with Cora on his own and yes, how could she forget about all of the mistakes she committed in her marriage, the one that could end up costing her everything she ever truly loved.

Her husband, her kids…

Blinking away the tears that were already forming in her eyes, Regina lifted her own hand and let it rest against Robin's cheek, her gaze fixed on those two amazing blues of his as he stared back at her.

She did that for a while, just looking at him…

"Maybe when everything goes back to normal with travelling and all that, we can go there and visit their resting place. You know Mary Margaret took care of that so who knows, it could give you some kind of closure."

Liking how he was talking about them in future terms, Regina's lips curved a little, not enough to form a smile though, so he probably didn't even pick up on it.

"To the States? I haven't been there since I was seventeen."

"You're more British than American then, uh?"

Turning her hand so that her knuckles could trace the outline of his jaw, Regina snorted, but instead of commenting on that, she went ahead and changed the subject entirely. "I'm sorry about that thing at the office. And all the times before I got a little crazy… or dramatic."

Robin blinked slowly, pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue. "I know."

Nodding, she moved her hand back around, first letting her fingertips run across his cheeks, over his lips and then into his hair.

It was nice, feeling him so close she could see all the different hues of blue in his eyes and yes, breathe into that deep scent that was so his and that she has missed so much.

"Want to watch something on the telly?"

His comment made her frown a little because hello, she was pretty sure they were having a moment and him reaching for the control and pressing play, was taking from it.

It was okay though, because he then pulled her to him and let her cuddle against him and that was good too, she guessed...

Resting her head to his chest and feeling how his arms came around her, Regina breathed in, and when he started to explain what was the show all about, she just listened, liking the low undertones of his voice and the way his lips would occasionally press to her head.

That right there made her act too, her hand moving over his chest, across his stomach and then down his arms.

He never protested, even when she could feel him tense up a little, so taking that as a good sign, she lifted her face up and kissed him right underneath his jaw.

Feeling the way he took in a deep breath, Regina moved her lips to his neck, sucking small kisses all over until she reached that spot she knew he liked so much to be treated, and when she got there, she allowed her tongue to dart out so that she could taste him.

"Regina…" He mumbled in a raspy tone, his hand moving down her arm.

"I miss you." She said, moving her lips up the column of his neck and straight towards his cheek, spot where she placed one last kiss before lifting her eyes to him.

And Robin… he was looking right back at her, first focused on her eyes and then down to her mouth, thing that she took as a green light to go ahead and close the gap between their lips so that she could kiss him as it was meant to be… as she hasn't done in so long.

The only problem with that logic was that as soon as her lips touched his, he cleared his throat, moved his face so that he could instead bump his nose to hers, and then he was looking away.

"Let's keep our eyes on the telly, yes?"

Feeling as if he dropped an icy-cold bucket of water right over her head, Regina remained frozen for the good part of the next minute; her thoughts spiraling out of control as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

Did he right off the bat reject her? Did she read him all wrong? Could it have been that she has been right all along and he plain and simple didn't feel anything for her like at all?

Was he repulsed? Was it all really over between them? Because if he couldn't do something as simple as kissing her, how the hell could they keep up with a damn marriage?

God… she was so fucked up, that she killed every chance she had of making things work. That was what talking about her parents did, confirm in his eyes that there was no hope for her...

Swallowing on dry and suddenly feeling like she was about to hyperventilate, the brown-eyed straightened up, making his arm fall from where he has been resting it over her shoulder.

She wanted… no, she needed to get away from him and she needed to do it now, before she would do something embarrassing like crying or worse, turn to him and beg him to please give her a chance to try things again, that she would do anything he wanted…

Getting to her feet and clenching her jaw, Regina sniffed as silently as she could. She also moved as slowly and meticulously as she was able to, as she didn't want to give the impression that she was about to break down and cry.

Not only because she was sure this was it between them, but also because of her father, because of her mother, and because the pressure of it all was falling so heavy on her she couldn't even breathe.

"You alright?"

Nodding and motioning something with her hand, Regina moved away from him, one step at a time getting closer and closer to her bedroom; all until she was finally in and she could close the door behind her back so that she could react as badly as she wanted…

But no… she wasn't going to… she was going to keep control of her emotions and she was not going to cry over this.

After all, nothing of what was happening was a surprise so… there was no reason to cry as if she hadn't been expecting it.

Still, even if she didn't want to and even if she was fighting it with all of what she had, her eyes got cloudy, her chest got constricted and her hands started to shake.

It was right there, stuck down her throat and no, even with a hand clasped over her mouth and all her will on it, she wasn't able to hold it. One sob followed after the other and before she could help it, she was shaking all over and crying like she had never done before.

It was there, with her back pressed to the wall of her bedroom that she let it all go and she cried for the things she lost, for the one she was losing and for how she screwed it all up.

What could she say? She was right when she described herself as being her own worst enemy and here were the results. She was going to end up as alone as her mother did and maybe she deserved it.

"Hey, are you su-"

The door to her room opened and before she could stop him, Robin walked in. It took him a second to rush to her, his hand quickly grabbing for her face as he stupidly asked him what was wrong.

He looked worried, probably scared and for his sake, she tried to hold it. But the thing was that the more she tried to stop, the more she would accumulate in her chest and the worse it would erupt out of her.

By then, she was crying ugly, she had no control over it as this was years and years of holding it all together with a bobby-pin, and now that everything was out, there was no way for her to stop it.

She cried like she failed to do when her parents died and when she first thought Robin was going to leave her, hell… she didn't even cry so hard when she was shipped to London to get married, not when Leo first hit her and definitely not when she had her first heartbreak.

But now there she was, after years of taking pride of being tough and unbreakable, she finally reached hit rock bottom, and much to her shame, she was doing it in front of Robin.

"It's okay, it's okay…" He mumbled into her hair as he somehow managed to wrap his arms around her so that she could cry and cry into his shirt. He also got her to sit, so they were now in what used to be their bed.

"It's not." She managed to say, her voice breaking and her eyes full of tears; and really, how could it be okay when he was once again witnessing the emotionally fucked up person that she was?

He was going to leave, and he would probably want to take the kids too, because how could he want to leave them under her care when she was like that?

Pulling away and blowing out a breath as he took a look at the mess that was her face, Robin tried to wipe most of her tears. "It is… it's going to be…"

"No… you're going to leave me… I know… you just don't know how to say it." Her tone came up as broken and pathetic, the kind that would have her mother groaning; but in the distress that she was in that moment, she couldn't find it in her to care.

Fuck Cora, and damn her soul straight into hell.

Holding her head up as his fingers buried into her hair, Robin looked at her through clouded eyes. He was probably feeling sorry for her because that was the kind of person that he was. He cared, it was in his nature to be like that, but that didn't mean that he had any love for her left.

"I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, are you listening to me?"

Unable to stop her eyes from leaking, Regina shook her head because even if it was to make her feel better, he was lying, and she hated it when people lied to her.

"Don't lie to me." After a second, she was able to calm herself a little, at least enough so that she could talk in complete sentences. "Because this… thing of making believe there is a chance… is not good for me. Just go ahead and say it, say you want to leave and do it."

Another sob escaped her, and God, she hated herself for it, because when she wanted to be the strong empowered woman she always thought herself to be, she was unable to do anything other than cry.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Robin closed his eyes and she tried to be ready for it, for the admission to come. "I don't… I don't want to leave you, Regina."

Not really believing him, she tried to take in a deep breath. She ended up choking on it, so that her next words came as nothing but a strangled whisper. "Then why are you doing this to me? Why are you punishing me like this… because I'm trying to make up… for everything… I'm really trying to be and to do better… and you just… keep pushing away, and I can't, I really can't..."

Robin was no longer wiping her flowing tears and instead, he was trying to blink his away. "I'm not punishing you, I'm really not. I just don't want to get in the way of you getting better."

Again, she didn't believe him because to her ears, that came up as a load of bullshit.

"Stop lying to me."

Sniffing, Robin kissed the tip of her nose, her wet cheeks and her closed eyelids, then, when he was done, he kissed her lips briefly. "I'm not. I know you are trying to get better and you are doing it great, and that's why I don't want to get in the way of that. I'm here to support you, but you need space to figure-"

"I don't need space, I need _you_. I need you to be my husband, not my sponsor or whatever that shit is called. But you can't even deal with me without… I don't know, being repulsed."

"Repulsed… you think I'm repulsed by you? Jesus, Regina…" His words came out as broken as she felt inside.

"You don't want to touch me… hell, you didn't even want me to kiss you a moment ago, so yeah… if it's not repulsion, then it is lack of love. Is that it, you don't love me anymore?"

Scoffing and pressing his forehead even harder against hers, Robin blinked several times. "I love you so much it hurts."

"Then what is it?"

"Why didn't I kiss you? Because if I did, I wouldn't have been able to stop and you were upset. You just opened up about your parents for the first time in only God knows how long and it was… I didn't want to take away from that. I want to help you, not make it all worse by allowing you to bury the things that affect you back inside, because that's what would have happened and you know it."

Biting on her lips, she frowned. Sure, he may be a little right, but that didn't mean that she was wrong.

Feeling more calmed down, Regina wrinkled her nose. "If you really want to help me, you can't be pushing me away. It's been three weeks Robin… three weeks of me walking on eggshells around you, and it has been torture… not knowing where I stand, or what you want..."

"I'm sorry." He kissed the corner of her lips, not exactly what she needed, but a good step into the right direction. "But you were not saying anything either so I thought I was doing the right thing."

"I didn't say anything because I was sure you were still mad at me and wanted to dump me, and that if I brought the subject up, you would admit to it and leave."

Groaning, Robin brushed her hair behind her ear. "Like I said, I don't want to leave you. Yeah, I was mad… and maybe I still feel a bit sore over the fact that you doubted me like that, but those are little rocks on the way. They are not going to be the last in our path either, I'm sure… because marriage is not about being perfect all the time. It's growing together, and picking each other up when we stumble."

Regina sucked in a shaky breath, her eyes on him.

"I love you, with your flaws and all… I mean, a little less drama wouldn't hurt, but that's you. I just need you to trust me, and to talk to me about the things that bother you, because if you don't, how will I be able to help you?"

"I know."

"So you think you can do that?"

Nodding and taking on the small smile that was forming on his lips, Regina nodded. "I can…"

"Then it will be all good. Now come on, let's try to get some sleep, okay?"

Watching as he settled himself on their bed and then opened his arms so that she could rest against him, Regina sighed out loud, something close to relief washing over her.

He was there, he was finally there where he belonged, and even when she thought they still had a few more talks in store, she was sure that as he said, they were going to be alright.

Chewing on her lips, she slid against him, her face on his shoulder and her arm around him, and that way… she fell into a deep sleep, the kind she hasn't been able to enjoy in such a long time.

She was going to wake up in a few hours though, and when she did, everything was going to take the turn she has been expecting for a while now…

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

'_When you choose to love someone who is damaged, you take on the weight of their past, their pain, their guilt. You must be strong, you must be patient. You can stop the bleeding and help them scar over, but they will always, always be a little broken. If you can handle that, if you can accept the dents and the cracks, if you can get them to trust you, you will never find a better partner in life than them…'_

Blinking his eyes ever so slowly as he absentmindedly used the ball of his thumb to smooth the severe frown that was taking over his wife's pretty features, the man known as Robin Locksley adjusted his eyesight into the semi-darkness taking over the bedroom, thinking... wondering, asking himself with the most severe of reproaches, how was it that he didn't see it… how he didn't see how bad Regina has been coping with everything for the past few weeks.

Sure, he has been aware that she was no happy camper and that in her infamous impatience to resolve things quickly and more than a little hastily, she has been hinting that her therapy sessions were nothing but a bothering nuisance she couldn't wait to drop; but never, not even once, did it cross his mind to think that the manner in which he has been walking by her side in this journey without getting in her way, was affecting her so deeply.

That it annoyed her? Yes, he knew it; that it tickled the anxious side of her that would always prompt her into rushing forward? Of course he has known about that too; but that his approach of giving her all the time and space she needed to go through the whole thing on her own terms was actually making her feel insecure about his feelings, was something he never saw coming.

It took him by surprise. Actually, it rattled the ground he has been standing on when he saw her crying thinking he was through with her, and he felt that way because he honestly thought she knew how deep his feelings for her really ran.

He has told her, shown her over and over again, so he never ever imagined she was going to get like that.

It has been a brutal mistake... to overlook things he should have never missed in the first place… to forget how frail Regina really was despite the tough front she wanted to put up for the world to see; and that he let her pain slide right underneath his nose, was a mistake he wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself from committing.

He failed her, simple as that. He made her break and cry like he has never seen her do before, and all that because he did the one thing he promised he would never do, not catching her when she needed it the most.

It was gut wrenching, realizing that he was the reason for her tears, and seeing it manifest the way it did, was making him feel like the lowest scum on earth.

Now yes, part of him wanted to justify his approach by repeating inside his mind that he never left her alone and that he has been by her side at all moments; but another part, a more reasonable one, was punishingly reminding him that even though he has been right there, that he should have done more… that he shouldn't have made her feel like she was an annoying obligation.

No, instead of handling things the way he did, what he should have done was open his eyes to the harsh reality and see that this woman that he loved so much, not always needed someone to pick her up, but someone who would lay by her side and hold her tight, reassuring her over and over again until she was ready to go up on her own two feet.

He didn't do that… no, in his fixation of wanting her to get rid of her demons, he took the wrong approach and as a result, he cocked it all up.

Sure, at first he thought that he was doing it the right way… hell, he even thought he was doing a noble thing by pushing aside his own selfish needs of kissing her senseless, of touching her and loving her with the ease in which he used to so that she that could focus on her mental health without having him all over her…

It has been a hard thing, to be there but staying away, to fight the urge of sneaking into their bed even if it was just to hold her and breathe into her sweet scent at night… ignoring the need to kiss her every morning before going to work...

But it was better that way, he thought, because as he saw it, letting themselves be carried away in the moment so that they would succumb to those curious touches and hungry kisses they liked to share so much, would end up giving them both a false illusion that things were alright when they weren't... and that was the last thing he wanted.

No… he wanted her to feel better, to be better, to see herself as an amazing woman that deserved to be loved. He also wanted her to love herself a little more… and to achieve that, she couldn't have any distractions.

What he didn't know, was that choosing to keep himself at a certain distance, was going to end up being his biggest mistake…

Blowing out a shaky breath of defeat, Robin allowed his hand to move over her temple and then slowly down to her cheek, feeling the soft texture of her skin under his fingertips as he hadn't done in so long. For several seconds, that was all he did, let his fingers roam as his eyes got caught in the distress taking over her face even while she was supposed to be peacefully sleeping.

Was she having a nightmare? Was she still thinking he would at some point take off and never come back?

At that last thought, Robin couldn't help but to feel a deep sense of guilt eating him inside out. Yes, guilt because it would be his fault if those were the thoughts haunting her dreams… because sure, even though it has never been his intention to make her feel unloved, unwanted and so insecure, he ended up making her feel like that.

What could he say? Sometimes, it was so easy to forget how broken his wife really was when she was alway trying to go out of her way to act so tough; and yes, it was easy to overlook the things she wanted to hide because she did it so good, that at times she herself wasn't even aware of the things she was bottling up; especially when she wanted to be _The_ Regina Mills, fierce, unbreakable and tough as nails, so if she wasn't even aware of her issues, how was he supposed to know.

Oh, but he has known… and ever since she started to ignore how her parent's death affected her while dealing with an unexpected pregnancy and the whole thing of the pandemic, he should have expected a full blow up.

He didn't, and when it came, he handled it in the worst way ever.

Now, he didn't want to imply that he should have let the scene she pulled on him slide as if it wasn't nothing, because he has been deeply hurt and upset by the way she put in doubt his commitment and love for her. Sure, he has always taken her blow ups with a bit of a sense of humor and full understanding, and maybe, he should have taken the same approach with that one too… but this time, it has been too much for him to overlook.

The way he saw it, he has always gone out of his way to make her feel not only loved, but supported and understood as well, and she basically repaid him by implying he was cheating on her.

So yes, he has been upset and with all the right reasons, and in his rotten mood he has needed to clear his mind and blow off some steam by taking some time away. He took a night, deeming that it was necessary to de-escalate the overload of emotions on both sides; but he has never done so with the intention of indefinitely cutting things with her and let alone to leave her.

He loved her so damn much to ever do that, and it has hurt him more than he ever would have imagined to purposely stay away that night.

That's why he came back even though he was still mad the very next day, because he couldn't just stay away.

But then, when he sat and talked with her and she opened up about how her mind was a constant buzz full of demons that wouldn't leave her alone, he decided to do what was best for them as a family... what he should have done long ago, which was get her the help she needed.

The rest was history, and now here they were…

Blinking and sliding his hand to the back of her head, Robin let his fingers bury into her silky hair, the digits running smoothly through her dark locks while his senses drank on everything he could get out of her… like the deep frown making her face distort, the scrunch on her nose and the apparent tensing of her jaw.

He also took notice that she was grunting a little, although so low that he could barely hear it. It was almost an imperceptible thing, but it was there, subtly picking up along with her breathing.

Now, he wasn't sure if she was still asleep, awake or having a nightmare, but she sure as hell didn't look too comfortable.

It came as no surprise though, after all, Regina has never been the smoothest sleeper in the book and now that she was in those last weeks of her pregnancy and she couldn't do her normal tossing and turning, sleep always became a hard thing to conquer.

Her back would bother her too much if she kept the same position, she couldn't breath if she rolled to her back, and her leg would cramp up if she didn't have it tossed forward.

So no, seeing her like that was definitely not a new thing.

It did worry him though, because she just recently admitted that on top of those afflicting pains, her dreams were being haunted by some ghosts of her past and the last thing he wanted, was having her fall victim to another one of her nightmares.

No, Cora has done enough damage to her as it was, and he was not going to let her keep having any kind of control over her life.

It was with that thought in mind that wanting to appease whatever was making her feel restless, that Robin slid closer against the woman, enough for him to feel the heat of her body emanating in huge waves towards him. He also lowered his hand down from her hair and let it crawl all the way to her hip, massaging her flesh a little in case it was bothering her.

Regina stirred at that, sighing deeply and pushing her leg forward enough so that it could slide right between his. She also ended up half laying on him, at least her stomach was and so did the hand that ended up being thrown against his chest.

It was not exactly comfortable for him, especially because he couldn't move with the position she took all over him; but because she did seem to quickly fall asleep after that, he bore the discomfort as best as he could. He owed it to her, for the times he wasn't there, for the nightmares she had to face on her own and sure, for the kisses he didn't give her that would have soothed some of her insecurities away.

It made him feel bad, all of the things he unknowingly denied her for being so deep into his own ass that he didn't even see it, but he was there now, and he was not going to leave ever again.

Now… it was yet to be seen if she still wanted him there. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't, because he did fail her and in what a way.

Closing his eyes and doing his best not to entertain such thoughts, Robin continued to work his fingers over her hip and back, massaging in slow lazy fingers as he buried his nose into her hair, breathing into her scent. For some time, that seemed to do the trick, and she was at peace, but then she was tensing again in his arms and her forehead came to press harshly into his shoulder.

There was a small whimper too, quickly followed by a sharp exhale.

"Regina?" At the mention of her name, the brunette groaned. She didn't say anything though, even when her face tilted a bit up, as if searching for him. She didn't even open her eyes for that.

Biting into the inside of his cheek, Robin cradled the back of her head, watching her up close and deciding that no, that she was definitely not asleep. He wasn't sure if she was completely awake either, but at least she wasn't trapped into one of those nightmares that would rattle her so much.

"Are you alright?"

Regina nodded, then, she opened her eyes to slits, the tensing of her jaw loosening a little.

Nodding right back at her, Robin chewed on the inside of his cheek, not really knowing what else to do or say. Yeah, he could address what happened earlier on in that room and clear the air once and for all, but he wasn't sure if it was the right moment for it.

It was too recent, too raw… hell, her eyes were still puffy of so much crying; plus she was still half asleep and probably in no state to listen to him with a clear mind.

"You should try and get more sleep, it's still early." He said at last, watching through his own itchy eyes as she watched him back.

"Hmm." Her eyes closed, but only for a second; right after she was wide eyed staring at him.

Letting his own blue orbs roam along her face, he tried his best to smile at her, but the only thing he managed was to twist his lips into some kind of a grimace, one full of regret and guilt.

"Want to know what I'm thinking now? First time you kissed me."

Arching an eyebrow because that was not at all the way his thoughts were running, Robin used his fingers to brush her hair. "Really?"

"Um-hum. It was at Granny's, you were drunk and we were for some reason sharing the bed and you kissed me."

Despite the stone-cold claws of regret tearing his guts appart, Robin scoffed, his nose scrunching. "That was not the first time I kissed you."

"Yes it was. At least the first time you kissed me without someone pressuring you to do it."

Humming, Robin went back to memory lane because he was pretty sure he remembered each and every one of those first kisses, and at least for one, there has been no pressure. Sure, the first one has been at their fake wedding and the photographer basically obliged them to it, then it was the one Granny forced on them and to close it up, the one when they were playing with the kids… and at least for that last one, he didn't feel forced to do it.

No, he did it because he wanted to, because even back then, he was starting to see her for more than what she wanted people to see her, and he has been intrigued and sure, a little smitten over her already.

She always had that over him and that right there was something that never failed to amaze him, how after four years of being married, two children and a baby that could pop out at any given minute, she was still able to entrance him without doing anything at all.

Like in that moment, she was there, still half asleep, with her hair all over the pillow and her lips pouting in what could be perceived as a petulant gesture and in his eyes, she has never looked more stunning.

Sure, it could be because his mind was kind of freaking out with the possibility that he has damaged her trust so much that she could end up not wanting to deal with him any longer and in a way, he was trying to cling to that image of her…

But nah, he didn't think it was that, instead, he really believed he found her looking so beautiful because she was… because she looked like a dream come true.

"Well, I'm pretty much sure I kissed you before that without the pressure; you know, when I was teaching you how to hit a ball."

Her lips curved a little and she hummed. "Yeah… I kind of pressured you into that one."

"No you didn't."

"No? How about now, will I have to pressure you for a kiss?"

Dropping his eyes to her mouth and catching up to the fact that the pout was still there, Robin decided to do a thing he has been depriving himself of doing for a while now and yes, he went for it without thinking it too much, pressing his lips ever so lightly against hers and then kissing her when he felt her stirr a little against him.

It didn't go beyond that though, because after pecking her a couple of times, he ended up pulling back. Not because he wanted to stop, but because he knew there were a few things they needed to smooth out before doing the kind of kissing she was probably looking for.

"Regina- I think we should talk?"

"No… don't talk, I don't want to talk." She kissed him, soft little smooches on his chin, his lips and then up to the tip of his nose.

It was nice, and her lips especially made his heart swell up because if she wanted to kiss him, maybe she wasn't as disappointed with him as he himself felt? Maybe… she wasn't ready to give up on them over his stupid ass and the way he screwed everything up.

Still, brushing things aside was not the way to go here.

"But we should talk; about what happened last night, about the things you said."

"Robin... I'm pregnant, way too hormonal and over emotional, so don't mind last night, I overreacted, like always."

Pressing a hand to her cheek and making her look up at him, Robin shook his head, his eyes digging deep into her own stare. "No… what you said… the things in your mind were not said because you were hormonal, Regina…. you said them because you felt them. The whole point of your therapy is to help you get all these things off your chest, so I'm not going to ignore them once they are out just because I didn't like hearing them."

Her eyes shut tight at that, and her frame went a bit rigid, but then she was breathing out and looking at him again, a glint in her eye sparkling bright into his own. She looked a bit off, thing that made his alarm bells start to ring.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Rolling her eyes as if to dismiss the question, Regina cleared her throat and went back to business. "You told me last night that what I was thinking was wrong. I got it, so it's all good now. Can we leave it at that?"

"No, we can't. Regina, I hurt you, I made you think things that made you doubt about my feelings for you and that's not good… I failed you, that's all on me, and because of that you were the one bearing all the weight of it. I can't overlook that."

God, only to remember the way he has found her crying because of him was enough to hate himself, so no… it wasn't all good.

"It wasn't all on you. I was shitty… well, I've always been shitty so I don't blame you for getting tired of it all, of me."

"That's the thing. I didn't get tired of you; I mean yeah, I wasn't happy about how things went down at the office for the reasons I already pointed out to you and yes, I was mad, hurt and upset; but I should have never made it look like I wanted to get through with you because of what happened there. I didn't want that, I don't want it. Sure, it was something that we needed to work out and I'm sure it would have been resolved with a lot of talking-"

He let the words rest there for a few seconds as he tried to organize in his mind what he wanted to say next.

"But then I just… the night I came here… you told me one thing that really shook me, how you loved me more than what you probably loved yourself and I have to be honest, I didn't like that. Same way I didn't like knowing that right underneath my nose, you've been dealing with all sorts of issues without me even knowing. It seems all stupid now, but I wanted to fix that, I wanted to give you not only the resources, but also the time and space to deal with things, to let you find your ground and definitely see yourself as someone worth loving."

Blinking her eyes several times and then puffing out a breath, Regina spoke. "You're my ground, Robin, I didn't need to find anything. I just needed you... "

Pressing his forehead to hers, he sucked into a deep breath, feeling guilty for not seeing it that way before. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I mean, it's not like I didn't deserve being given the cold shoulder. I went a little overboard, I wasn't dealing well with things and… I took it up on you. There's no excuse for that, so I'm the one that should be apologizing, again."

"No, you already apologized for it and I turned that page. The real issue here is that I made you feel like I wasn't there for you."

"And you apologized for it, and I want to turn the page, can we?"

Sighing, Robin moved his hands back into her hair. "I think there are many pages here we need to go through before moving on, and I have lots of amends to make."

"I won't complain about you making amends."

"I'm sure you won't." Feeling somehow better, he flashed her a faint smile; then, he was leaning forward to kiss her.

He meant it to be just a small one, a soft brush of his mouth against hers before they could go back to sleep; but when she pressed harder into the contact and then parted her lips, his body reacted in automatic and he immediately broke into her mouth to kiss her deeper.

It was a slow thing, his tongue moving against hers in a soft caress that definitely made him want for more.

What could he say? It has been too long, and the kiss combined with the warmness of her body pressing against him woke up things he has been trying to bury when it came to her. He wanted her, yes… like he always did, like he has been doing since she walked into the living room with that glint in her eye that meant trouble while asking him if he was watching porn.

He knew back then that he shouldn't be wanting her that way, at least not in that moment, same way he definitely knew now that he shouldn't look for something more than that kiss. But he did… his rational thinking was pushed aside because his body plain and simple wanted more...

That's how he ended up kissing her harder, his hand traveling down her body until he pressed it to her ass, getting a satisfying handful of her flesh into the palm of it while pulling her closer.

At first, he was sure that he moaned into the kiss by his movement, as it made his not so subtle erection kind of poke her, and her reaction to that made him kiss her harder; but then she was breaking away from the kiss and groaning, in obvious discomfort.

Dropping his hand away from her and blinking in confusion, he licked his lips. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no… you didn't hurt me. I just-" Slapping a hand to her forehead, she scoffed, bitterly. "Ugh… God, you can't imagine for long I've been wanting this, wanting you to kiss me like you just did… but luck is never on my side, you know? I've been kind of having these contractions for a bit of a while now… so I don't think this whatever was going on in here is going to happen."

"You've been having contractions? Regina…" Pulling away and sitting over the bed, Robin gasped, his eyes drilling deep into hers. "And you didn't tell me, are you serious?"

"They were sporadic… and all spread out at first, so I just tried to sleep them off. You know how it was with Roland, I spent seventeen hours in a hospital with the same kind of contractions and nothing happened. But these ones... they are coming stronger and with less time in between so…"

"Like… less than five minutes appart?"

Apparently hit with another one, her hand closed into a fists and she hissed, taking in a deep breath and then blowing it out. "Yes, less than five minutes."

Blinking several times and feeling his heart skip a beat with the realization, he scoffed. "Regina, you know you're probably in labor, right?"

"I know, this kid has the worst timing ever."

"Okay, okay…. It's okay, I'll call Ruby so that she can come over and stay with the kids and then we'll go…. We'll go to the hospital. You think you can wait until she comes? God, I knew I should have asked her to stay here just in case… you have your bag done? Where is it? Shit… I'm going to go and start the car."

Getting up to his feet so that he could go and grab his phone to call Ruby, Robin cursed under his breath again. Should he call her doctor as well, make sure she would be there when they arrived?

Before he could make up his mind about that one, he heard Regina calling for him.

"Robin, leave the freaking out to me okay, we're good… it's not like we haven't done this before, right?"

Right… he said, his mind suddenly switching from worried to excited because yes, after what felt like the longest pregnancy in the history of pregnancies, they were about to welcome their baby boy into the world… and he just couldn't wait to finally have their family all together afterwards...

TBC

Okay so this was just a bonus chapter with Robin's POV to make it easier for you to understand his way of thinking and maybe not hate him too much? Lol, anyway, I hope it didn't come too flat because my Robin muse was acting all up…

P.S. The words at the beginning are not mine, and I couldn't find the author, but I think it was so like Robin and Regina in this story that I had to add it. Hope you enjoyed!


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